A Man and His Maid
by missjulseyb
Summary: AOS AU. Grant grew up wealthy and moved from town to town. Skye works at the orphanage she grew up at. Their worlds collide and of course it's epic. Skyeward, Fitzsimmons, and Some Philinda. Rated T for language. My first fic so play nice.
1. Chapter 1: Skye

**Chapter 1: Skye and Jemma**

**Authors Note: Alright guys. Some of you might have noticed me leaving kudos for days on your work. I've decided to try my hand at writing. This is my first fic ever so feedback would be lovely, but obviously I'm learning as I go. So play nice. I can take it if you guys have suggestions on how to make it better or something I'm doing wrong. Obviously I sadly don't own Agents of SHIELD or the characters. But Skyeward is ruining my life and I feel the need to write it out. I have the first few Chapters written. We'll see how this goes. Wish me luck! Enjoy!**

Skye had been an orphan ever since she could remember. She knew nothing of her parents and decided at a young age that her name would be Skye because it was endless and full of possibilities. The nuns went along with it because in reality they didn't know her name anyways. She was placed at the doorstep of the orphanage in a basket as a very young baby and encouraged her to be her own person.

When Skye turned 18 they gave her the opportunity to stay at the orphanage if she assumed the responsibilities of an employee. She was mostly expected to clean and help with the children. She had tried to cook and the nuns quickly decided it was in everyone's best interest and safety if she did nothing more in the kitchen than make cereal. It worked for the best anyways as the kids were attracted to her like a magnet. They loved playing games with her (Battleship being a favorite) and the new arrivals would always seem to attach themselves to her. Being an orphan that was always returned to the orphanage hadn't jaded her at all. She was optimistic that it was all due to some greater power and everything would work out for the best. She radiated positive energy and it was her positive energy that had attracted her best friend Jemma Simmons to her.

Jemma was a gorgeous Brit who was visiting the states with her parents. They were busy at medical conferences and since she had graduated a few years ago at 16 due to a high intellect was allowed to accompany them to the states for the 6 months they were to be out here. She had developed a love of medicine and spent her time volunteering as a nurse for the orphanage. She ended up loving it so much that when her parents when back to the UK, she decided to stay and test her luck in the states. She was a year older than Skye and once Skye became a collegue, she found they ended up in the same places at the same times and discovered they mutually enjoyed the company of the other. They both lived at the orphange and found that they surprisingly didn't tire of each other. Skye considered Simmons a sister of sorts, and in all honesty Simmons felt the same way about her. They were inseperable and could always be found playing with the children or laughing amongst themselves during the day.

Late at night their sanctuary was the front of the orphanage. There was a grassy patch that was lit by a street lamp, perfect for reading aloud to each other or telling each other stories of their childhood. Sometimes they would lose track of time, planning on saving their money to get a place together that they could call their own. She loved the idea of going places and had always found computers could take her anywhere and were capable of anything. It was peaceful late at night and was welcomed as a nice change from the chaos that was orphan children during the day. Between keeping the children entertained and each of them performing their duties as employees, they would welcome the cool grass out front to lie back in exhausted.

It was late one particular night when they found themselves finishing up a romantic book about a man whisking a woman away from her ho-hum life in a small town. They giggled to themselves thinking that the small town in the book sounded like the one that they were living in now.

"Oh how I wish a man would come whisk us away, Jem. Don't get me wrong. I love volunteering here, but I've lived here all my life and would love my own place with a life somewhere away from the orphanage."

"I'm tellin ya, Skye. In a few more months we should have enough money to get a small place here in town. I like the small-town USA life here and I don't mind working as the orphanage nurse, but it would be nice to start my own practice out here. I think I could pass the medical tests to get my credentials to open a clinic out here. The closest one is miles away!"

It was during that conversation that movement caught their eyes. There was a figure slowing walking down the other side of the road from the orphanage. Looking at the clock tower at the orphange they noticed it was 1am. Nobody in town roamed around this late.

"Who could it be?" whispered Jemma.

"I haven't seen him in town before, but man he is gorgeous! I'd like to learn who he is!".

Jemma just shook her head and giggled at Skye's response. She definitely had a type. And the muscular man accross the street fit the bill. They watched as he kept his head down and his hands in his pockets. Once he got past the orphanage he walked up the path towards the huge mansion up the hill. It was at that point they realized he must be the mysterious bachelor that moved into the mansion up the hill earlier in the week. They had heard people in town talking about seeing activity, but had yet to actually meet the bachelor that lived inside. Skey decided it would now be her mission to try to bump into the man, and what kind of best friend would Jemma be if she left her to do it alone?


	2. Chapter 2: Grant Ward

**Chapter 2: Grant Ward**

**Alright guys. Here's Chapter 2. Now we get to meet Grant. I found the names of Grant's brothers online, but it's not a guarantee I'm right. Let me know if I'm wrong so I can fix it and know for the future. Thanks for hanging in there. It'll pick up soon, I promise. You all know the drill. Feedback is lovely and appreciated and helps me decide if this is something I should keep doing or not.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Agents of SHIELD or the characters. Skyeward and AOS has ruined my life and this is me coping.**

Grant Ward was not the type of man to socialize and make friends easily. Add to that the fact that he usually had trouble sleeping at night and people would talk. Grant moved from place to place quite often as an adult. He didn't have the most ideal home life as a child and it stuck with him as an adult. His mom was loving and he got along well with his younger brother, but it was the absense of a father and his abusive older brother that caused him his troubles at night and an inability for anywhere to really feel like home. His family had always been well off and his mother was loving, but not the most attentive parent. She often left the three boys in the care of a nanny that would never last long. Once Grant's older brother, Maynard was old enough his mother left the two younger boys in his care. That was when Grant really felt the true rath of who his brother could be. Sadly it was his younger brother Benwho received the most of Maynard's wrath. Grant tried his best to protect Ben, but found that it only angered Maynard more and in turn would cause harsher "punishment" as he liked to call it. Ben turned 18 and moved out of their house leaving Grant to feel like he was free to move out as well and never deal with Maynard and his awful ways again.

So it was a few years later that Grant Ward found himself moving once again. He found a small town that had a mansion that sat at the top of a hill. It was vacant for a long amount of time and was practically a steal to buy since the owner had passed away a year back and his daughter was anxious to sell. She had her own life in a busy city and he felt she wouldn't have appreciated the small town anyways.

He found that he felt more calmed in smaller towns than he did in the bustle of larger cities. Grant enjoyed the sound of the orphanage at the bottom of the hill here and liked the fact that the town had a small homey feel, but everyone still seemed to keep to themselves. He had only been here for a few days, but already felt more at ease than he had in a long time. He had walked to the end of the block late last night. It helped calm him sometimes when his mind wouldn't rest. When he was on his way back to his home, he had noticed two women across the street at the orphanage laughing about something. He had seen the two of them before and noticed that they were laughing then as well. It wasn't until this stroll late at night that he found the petite brunette of the pair absolutely stunning. He slowed down his pace just to catch a longer glimpse of her. She seemed to drown in the maid uniform that she wore, but nonetheless he found her to be attractive. When the pair had stopped laughing he saw their attention turn to him and he put his head down and picked up his pace again. He felt their gaze follow him until he disappeared up the hill. He walked into the mansion, still full of boxes and turned to the large grandfather clock in the entry room. It was almost 2 am! He didn't think he had been walking that long. He took off his coat to hang on the rack by the door and heard a loud bang in the kitchen. He dropped his coat, grabbed his knife out of his pocket that he always carried and ran down the hall.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Seriously Fitz? And The Rest of The Ward Mansion Inhabitants**

**Author Note: Yay! A third chapter! I promise it will start to pick up after this. I feel like I'm dragging this on forever. Totally freaking out over posting fanfic myself. I totally admire you guys for having the guts to do this! As always feedback would be lovely and appreciated. It'll help me decide if I should post another story or not.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

Grant Ward was racing down the hall trying not to trip over all of the boxes that had yet to be unpacked. He got to where the kitchen was and noticed the door was open a crack and the light was on. It was 2 am! Who was in his kitchen and if it was actually an intruder than who the hell would choose the kitchen of all places to raid? _Time to find out I guess._ With a swift kick the door flew open and Grant was ready to face the intruder. What he didn't expect to find was his chef, Leo Fitz, covered in ash and a pot of god knows what splattered everywhere. When he realized there was no threat he put his knife down on the counter and noticed in the corner, sitting at the bar was the snickering duo of Phil Coulson and Melinda May-Coulson.

"Easy there Tiger. You just bought the place. Don't start kicking down doors just yet." Ward looked towards Phil and narrowed his eyes.

"What the hell are all of you even doing in here? And seriously Fitz? You couldn't wait at least a week before blowing something up?

Grant had known Leo Fitz for years. Fitz had moved in next door to Grant when he was 15 and to everyone's surprise, became friends rather quickly. People used to pick on Fitz because he was always hanging out in the cooking room at the highschool and was scottish. He said the cooking was like a sort of chemistry to him and there were so many different flavors to experiment with in the states. He liked combining seemingly dissimilar ingredients that actually turned out to be delicious most of the time. It was in the cooking room that Grant and Fitz developed a bond, when Grant couldn't figure out why his dessert wasn't as fluffy as it was supposed to be. Fitz had a second of bravery and confronted the then teenage Grant and simply told him, "It's just because you overmixed the batter. It's more of a folding than a mixing". He proceeded to demonstrate and when Grant recieved his first A in cooking he found a cooking partner for the class in Fitz and it developed into a true friendship.

Grant opened up to Fitz about his rough childhood and the problems with his brother. Fitz confided in him about his fascination with technology and about how he tossed it to the side when kids starting picking on him once he started highschool. When Grant finally moved out, Fitz had invited himself along with him. He said he would be his chef and help create a stellar security system. Who was Grant to pass up the opportunity to have his one close friend come along? Together they packed up and moved to their first place together.

Phil and Melinda were close family friends that Grant had known since he can remember. Phil was like the father he never had. He was a caring man that always seemed to know what to say. So when Grant picked up and moved with Fitz in tow, Phil and Melinda went with them. They had nothing keeping them at the Ward home anymore. Phil became the staff lead whenever Grant decided to hire staff. Tough as nails Melinda helped with the training and running of staff, but mostly kept to her tai chi and driving. She drove Grant anywhere he needed to go. Grant never could figure out how the couple had developed their relationship with her being so stoic and him being so cheerful, but it worked out nonetheless. That was usually how the two of them were found. Phil had a smile and Melinda had a blank expression.

It was a rare time when Melinda (or May as they refered to her as out of respect) smiled and she was full on laughing in the kitchen with Phil and Fitz.

"Sorry Grant. You know you wouldn't be getting such delicious meals if I didn't blow them up every once in a while. Admit it. It's totally worth it. Hey, speaking of blowing up meals... I like this place. Maybe you should start looking into having actual staff here. A maid to clean this up would be awesome and I'm sure May and Phil get bored with just each other for company. May needs someone to boss around!"

Phil put an arm around Melinda and laughed. "I like it when Mel bosses people around. It takes away the temptation for her to boss me around!"

Melinda narrowed her eyes. "Alright alright. That's enough. I do agree with Fitz though. The town looks nice enough. Let's get some staff in here."

"Alright guys. We'll put up some flyers tomorrow then. It's almost 3 now. Phil, do you and May mind doing the interviewing?"

Phil assured him that he wouldn't mind doing the interviewing. He knew Grant was weary around people. Even if it was staff. With that, the four of them decided it was finally time to head to bed. It was going to be a busy week.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Finally! It's going to get exciting!**

**Author Note: Alright guys. Time for Chapter 4. Still totally freaking out over posting fanfic myself. I totally admire you guys for having the guts to do this! As always feedback would be lovely and appreciated. It'll help me decide if I should post another story or not.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

The next day, Fitz walked around town hanging flyers for staff to work in the mansion. It took three days before a pair of attractive young women rang the bell inquiring for work.

"Wow Jem, this place is even bigger up close! Could you imagine us working inside of there? And did you see the flyer? We'd be making way more than we do now at the orphanage! And now we can investigate on who this handsome man is that moved here!"

"Skye, calm down. They haven't even hired us yet and they could be terribly mean and not someone we would want to work for. What would happen then?"

It was then that they reached the door and rang the bell. Shortly after, May answered and led them down the hall. They were one of the few applicants with experience and Phil and May seemed very interested in them. It was towards the end of the interview that they noticed the tall figure of the owner of the mansion standing in the corner observing. Skye felt his eyes drift to her often. When they were informed they got the jobs and were sent on their way the stood up and noticed that he had another man standing next to him. The girls left shortly after their interview confused about what to make about the owner, Grant, and his friend who was standing with him. They headed straight for the orphanage to tell them of their new jobs. The nuns were excited for them and were happy to learn they could still volunteer on the weekends as the children would miss them.

So it was on a Monday morning that Skye and Jemma showed up at the steps of the small mansion to start their new opportunity. Fitz answered the door with a jaw almost to the floor when he caught sight of the lovely Jemma Simmons. After hearing her speak for the first time at the doorway he was done for. He immediately insisted the two women come to the kitchen so he could "Make them a cuppa".

"Oh my goodness Fitz. I cannot tell you the last time I had a decent cuppa in town! I can tell already that I'm going to love it here. You are a godsend!"

Fitz blushed furiously at her praise. "Oh you don't have to thank me. It's what any decent scotsman would do." Skye started to giggle at seeing the exchange between the two. Oh she was gonna see about the two of them getting together.

Just then, she heard someone clear his throat behind them. She swung around and standing in the doorway was Grant Ward himself. She hadn't seen him once at the home until now and he was more handsome than she even imagined. "H-Hello Mr. Ward. Nice to meet you. I-I'm Skye and this is Jemma..."

"Yes, yes I know who the two of you are. Fitz, could you not distract these women from their jobs and let them get to their rooms. There are things that need to be done." With that he briskly walked out of the room.

"Oh my. That wasn't a good way to start things off with the boss. He doesn't seem to be the friendliest person... "

"It's fine Jemma. Fitz, thank you for the tea. We will have to finish it up after we get settled in. We need to get to our room. Rain check?", Skye asked him with a bright smile.

"Yes, yes of course ladies. Here, let me take you two to the wing you'll be staying in. It's actually the same hallway as where I stay. You mentioned that you guys are going to be sharing a room?"

"Yes. We prefer it that way. We can move the beds around ourselves. It won't be a problem."

With that, they moved their things into their new room and were informed that on Tuesday morning they would begin their duties. With the rest of the day to themselves, they decided to unpack and get aquainted with the new place they would be living and working in.

After Grant confronted the girls in the kitchen, he walked towards his study where Phil was sitting and reading a book. "You know Grant, you don't have to be mean to everyone. They are very nice girls and the only ones that even wanted to work, let me remind you."

Grant looked at him as he poured a glass of scotch. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm their employer, not their friend. I was just being professional"

Phil closed his book. "You were being an ass, Grant. Play nice. We need their help around here. Besides, I think Fitz has taken a liking to one of them. Let the boy have some fun."

Grant just looked at him wondering which one exactly Fitz was beginning to develop this crush on...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work we go!**

**Author Note: Thanks for hanging in there with me guys! Here's Chapter 5. Some cute Fitzsimmons action.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

Skye and Jemma were informed to be dressed and in the kitchen by 630am Tuesday morning. Jemma didn't have a problem with it. She was naturally a morning person and it was important to her to be punctual. It didn't help either that she thought Fitz was adorable. And it had been forever since she had a decent cup of tea. Jemma walked into the kitchen at 620, hoping the aforementioned Scotsman would be in the kitchen. She smiled as she walked in and saw him there, boiling a kettle of water for tea. He turned around at the sound of someone approaching and when their eyes locked her smile grew to a full on beam. _**My goodness he is fit! Keep it together Jem. Play it cool. You just met the bloke. He could just be being nice.**_

Little did she know, at the same time Fitz was having his own struggle to keep it cool. _**Bloody hell she's an angel! Keep it together Fitz. You've got this. You can win her over. We'll sit and talk over a cuppa before everyone else gets here.**_

__Fitz beamed at Jemma, "Fancy seeing you here. Come here often do ya? Fancy a cuppa?"

Jemma blushed prettily and smiled back. "I would love a cuppa, Fitz. Thankyou."

Phil and Melinda had been standing in the hallway trying to listen in and stay hidden. "Aww Mel, look at the young love in bloom!"

Melinda playfully hit Phil on the arm. "Oh quiet you. Let them be. You are such a sap."

"Yea, but you love it."

Meanwhile in Skye and Jemma's room:

"Shit. Shit shit shit. Shit. Shit." Skye looked over at the clock hanging on the wall again. 6:30 "Shit. Seriously? I'm late!" She quickly grabbed the pair of black tights, skirt, and apron Jemma set out for her. _**God Bless that amazing amazing girl. **_Skye buckled her bra on and pulled her button up shirt around her. She only had two buttons done when she threw the door open to race downstairs when he smacked straight into a hard, broad surface.

_Smack! _

"Ah! What... the... hell..." She looks up and her eyes lock with the stoic glare of Grant Ward himself. "Oh no! I'm so sorry sir!" She looks down as his gaze slowly slips up the wall and looks at the ceiling and remembers she hasn't even buttoned her shirt up all the way. "I'll just uh..." Slowly she stepped back into her room and closed the door. She flattened herself against the door and took a deep breath. _**Well that's a hell of a way to start my first day.**_ She finished buttoning her shirt and peeked outside to make sure the coast was clear. She slipped out and headed towards the kitchen.

Grant's POV:

_**Well that was a hell of an introduction.. This girl is going to be the death of me. **_Grant quickly slipped back down the hall and into his private library. He needed a minute to clear his head before he went downstairs to address the girls. His thoughts drifted back to each time he had come accross Skye. It was like she got more and more attractive every time he saw her. Even when she was rushing out of the room all flustered just a minute ago his stomach did a flip. He quickly shook his head and willed the thoughts of her away. He didn't need to get attached to anyone. They always got hurt. He had to keep his distance. He walked back out of the library, relieved that the hallway was empty and made his way to the kitchen.

Just as he was getting ready to walk through the door his feet stopped. There were Phil and Melinda just outside giggling to themselves. _**This can't be good... **_He slowly walked up behind them and noticed they were watching the two girls inside with his best friend and chef. Jemma and Fitz were putting everything they could find into a pot while Skye sat on a stool hysterically laughing.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Shut up and just watch, Grant. This is just gettin good!" Phil turned back to the door just in time to see the contents in the pot bubble over. Skye jumped to dodge the liquid and started to trip over the leg of the stool. Before she could fall over Fitz grabbed her waist to steady her. As soon as his hand touched Skye's waist Grant burst through the door with May and Phil behind him, "What the hell is going on in here?!"

Fitz quickly stepped away from Skye, "Sorry Grant. I got caught up in the moment coming up with a new recipe. The ladies here got caught in the crossfire. Honestly. It's my bad"

"Just calm down with the making a mess Fitz or they'll never be able to clean another room in the house because they'll be so busy cleaning up after you." He turned to face Jemma and Skye. His eyes locked with Skye's and she blushed. "It's nice to officially meet you ladies. I'm Grant Ward. Every morning at 8am you'll have to check in with May in the dining room for your assignments for the day. Any orders from her or Phil should be treated like they came directly from me. Once your assignments are done, you are done for the day. The rear staircase and rooms are off limits. Any concerns can be directed towards Melinda or Phil That is all." Abruptly he turned around leaving 2 very confused women standing in the middle of the room.

Phil quickly took over, "Don't worry about him girls. He really isn't as mean as he seems. If you have any concerns don't hesitate to let me know."

Skye and Jemma nodded and said their thanks and then Melinda stepped forward handing each of them a piece of paper, "Here are your assignments for the day. All cleaning supplies can be found in the closet in the corner over there. Skye, you get to start with cleaning the ballroom today. Jemma you'll start with the kitchen." With a small smirk Melinda and Phil left the room and the girls looked at each other then turned to Fitz who was smiling, clearly excited that him and Jemma would be spending the day together. Skye laughed and as she walked out the door turned to Jemma with a grin and said, "Now don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"You did that on purpose didn't you."  
"Shut up, Phil."  
"I knew deep down inside you were a hopeless romantic. You're playing cupid with those 2."  
"Phil, I will hit you."  
"Yea, and I'll probably enjoy it."  
"You tease"  
"Shut up and kiss me, Mel"

Grant had overheard the part about May playing cupid. _**Oh they better not be trying to hook Fitz up with Skye or we are going to be having a problem. **_With that he walked up the rear spiral staircase to his private quarters wondering if Fitz and Skye had a crush on each other and how he could win this girl over.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: You Must Get Bored With The Same Routine, Gorgeous**

**Author Note: Thanks for all of your support guys! I really appreciate the lovely reviews I've recieved and love any suggestions any of you might have. I'm glad I started this. It's so much fun! And I'm grateful people are enjoying this as much as I am.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

Skye and Jemma had been working for Grant for a month when they had settled in with a routine. They would start their mornings in the kitchen conversing with Fitz before they got their assignments for the day. May would drop off their assignments and they would start working while ever so often heading back to the kitchen to joke with Fitz for a bit before finishing for the day. They would occasionally run into Phil who was always friendly and stopped and chatted with them for a bit. Dinner was eaten in the kitchen with Fitz along with Phil and Melinda occasionally. Skye had saved up enough money to buy a laptop from a pawn shop and after her and Jemma changed into regular more comfortable clothes they would head straight to the library down the hall where Jemma would read and Skye would sit on her laptop. The girls usually lost track of time. It would always start with something Jemma says about her book, which would lead to Skye finding a funny video online and then boom. They would look up at the clock and discover that hours had passed in the library. Fitz usually would walk into the library to let them know that they were being loud and he didn't want them to get in trouble and then he would get dragged into whatever they were doing. Next Phil would show up to see what the commotion was about and then join in until Melinda showed up to bring him back to bed and send the children to sleep.

"This place really is lovely. Look at all these books! And right next to our room! This must be what Heaven is like. I wonder what Fitz does when he isn't in here with us."  
"I bet he looks through cook books trying to find out what will explode if mixed together. It seems like he blows things up a alot in there. Come to think of it, aren't you the one that always goes in to clean when there is an explosion?" Skye looked over to see Jemma blushing a bright red. "OH MY GOSH! HE DOES IT ON PURPOSE DOESN'T HE?! He totally blows things up so you have to come in and clean it up and he can admire you!"  
"Oh my gosh Skye! Quiet down! Someone will hear you!" Jemma goes to swat Skye with a book and misses, "I don't know what his motive is for blowing things up, but I understand why you think he would be doing it. I'm not sure if he fancies me though. I mean, obviously he enjoys my company, but maybe he sees me more as a friend. It's not like we spend any more of our time together."  
"I think he totally _fancies _you. He doesn't spend any extra time with me. It's always you he's calling. I've seen the two of you. He adores you. And not in a friend way either. I should definitely go investigate this."  
Jemma knew better than to argue with her. "If you must. But don't let Melinda catch you. The last thing we need is for her to get mad at you for being loud again."  
"I'm not going to be loud... on purpose! It usually just happens. And she's nice. She just doesn't talk much to us. She's married to Phil. How bad could she be? He's ridiculously nice. He wouldn't be with her if she was totally heartless. You know who I wonder about? The mysterious Grant Ward? I always see him at the top of the stairs when I'm working or he'll walk into a room I'm working on and then look at something and turn around and leave. I think the most I've gotten out of the guy is a hello. I can't complain much though. He isn't exactly being mean and he is nice to look at when he does make an appearance."  
Jemma playfully smacked Skye's arm. "You are ridiculous when it comes to that man, you know that? That's more than I've seen of him though. I think I've seen him walking down the hall or going up those stairs in the back once or twice since we've worked here. Maybe he's just shy."  
"I don't know. Either way I wanna know what's up with him and what the heck is up those damn stairs! He goes up there and won't come back down all day! I'll go talk to Fitz right now about you and then tomorrow we start to shake things up a bit. I'm getting bored with the same old routine. We need to do something exciting!" With a laugh and wink at her best friend she walked out the door to do her investigating on whether the Scotsman had a thing for her best friend or not. She didn't even notice Grant standing at the other end of the hallway and start to follow her as she made her way down to the kitchen.

"Hey Fitzy. Long time no see! How's it hangin?"  
"Hi Skye. What's goin on? You have that gleam in your eye you get when you're thinking of doing something mischeiveous. The last time you looked like that was when I turned on the sink and chocolate milk came spurting out!"  
Skye sat on the stool across from where he was working and crossed her arms under her chest and leaned against the counter. Skye just laughed and leaned in closer. "Well I'm hurt you would think I would stoop so low, Fitz! I'm a proper lady! I wouldn't dare do anything bad! But come to think of it, I was wondering what was going on with you and Jemma." Fitz blushed and she had all the answer she needed, but she wouldn't be doing Jemma justice unless she had him come out and say it.  
"Wh.. what are you talking about, Skye? Jemma is a good friend. She's wonderful."  
"So you're saying you don't intentionally blow things up in here so you can see her?"  
"Well I never said exactly that..."  
"I see you two flirting over your tea. And she doesn't come back to our room until late."  
" I knew you guys sharing a room wasn't going to be a good thing"  
" Come on... If you like her I could find out if she likes you."  
"You would do that for me?!"  
"Ha! I knew it!"  
"Damn it! Don't tell her Skye!"  
"She likes you. So make something happen! I think you two are adorable together!"  
"Alright fine I'll talk to her. Here. I made this chocolate this morning for her. Will you give it to her? I'll have a surprise for her when she comes down for tea tonight. Don't say anything though. Just tell her the chocolate was a present for helping me down here earlier when that casserole got everywhere."  
"Okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Have fun tonight, Fitzy! Be careful with my bestie. I do know how to defend myself and I can hurt you and make it look like an accident. It's something I picked up being an orphan and all." With that Skye left the kitchen laughing with a gulping Fitz behind her.

Grant had followed Skye down to the kitchen. He was determined to find out if her and Fitz had a thing for each other. This past month has been torture. He kept walking into rooms he knew she was working in just so he could see her but once he got into the room he would blank out when her brown doe eyes would connect with his. She was always polite and greeted him with a "Hello Mr. Ward. Can I help you with something?" He was always quick to respont with a no and then walk out of the room. All of his clever ideas gone the moment she opened her mouth. He was walking down the hall to head towards the kitchen to talk to Fitz when he noticed her leave her room and head in the same direction. He saw her walk into the kitchen and stopped at the kitchen. _**Well they look chummy... Is he blushing?! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON BETWEEN THESE TWO?! **_He walked into the next room just as Skye walked out with a wrapped gift. She was laughing and skipped up the stairs back towards her room. _**That's it. I'm talking to Fitz.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Calm Your Shit Ward. Poor Fitz is Gonna Have a Heart Attack.**

**Author Note: Oh my gosh guys! Today is the day! Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is on tonight! I'm so excited, but so scared at what they are going to do to Skyeward! Joss can be a mean mean man when it comes to the feels! Here's a little territorial Grant, because I think he would be totally territorial and protective of Skye and I love it. Here's hoping that our lives won't be shattered with the episode tonight. This chapter is kind of small, so I'm sorry, but I feel like the next part would be weird if I added it at the end of it. ENJOY! **

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

Grant boomed into the kitchen with a determined look in his eyes, startling poor Fitz who was in the middle of frying some fish and setting a table while talking to Phil.  
"So you think she'll like it sir?"  
"I think she'll love it Fitz. She seems like the type who would appreciate the thought. I'm impressed you came up with all of this on your own."  
"Well cooking is something I think I can handle. I've cooked for her plenty before. It's if this works out that I'm gonna be freaking out on what to do next."

That was when Grant stopped listening and decided to interrupt. "This is a pretty cozy looking set up Fitz. You trying to woo someone?"  
"Goodness Grant, where did you come from?! I could have gotten hot oil all over myself!"  
"Fitz, what's with the food?"  
"What are you talking about? I'm the chef. It's what I do."  
"I heard you guys talking, Fitz." Grant stepped closer to the Scot. "What exactly are you doing in here?"  
"I'm uh... tryingtomakearomanticdinner ...for later tonight..."  
"WHAT?!"  
"I'm trying to make a romantic dinner for tonight. I didn't think it would be a big problem as long as her assignments were done. I already set up some stuff in the media room at Phil's request for you guys to eat tonight so that way I can have the night off."

Grant looked towards Fitz and then looked over at Phil who was looking pretty pleased with himself. He looked at Phil, "You're okay with this?"

"Oh I'm more than okay with this. Mel and I have been hoping these two would get together since we saw the two of them in the kitchen that first day. Why do you look so pissed? Did something happen?"  
"Yes something happened! You all have been trying to get Fitz and Skye hooked up since the beginning and didn't talk to me about it at all! You back off right now Fitz. We are best friends, and you know I care about you, but so help me if you start dating her we're going to have a problem."  
Fitz shrunk down shocked at the way Grant was acting "...WHAT?! Don't get me wrong, Skye is lovely and all, but I'm talking about Jemma." At this Grant looked confused and Phil started busting up laughing and called for Melinda.  
"But what was that earlier between the two of you? I saw you blush Fitz. And I always see someone sneaking into Skye's room late at night."  
"Skye was delivering a present for Jemma from me and that's Jemma you see at night. She uh.. hangs out with me... Her and Skye stay in the same room and Jemma sneaks out after Skye goes to sleep to come hang out with me in the kitchen."

An embarrased look passed Grant's face as he backed up a step from Fitz "Oh. My bad."  
"Wait a minute. What are you doing roaming around at night near their room?"  
"You know I always walk around late at night."

At this Phil decided to take over. Fitz still looked like he was ready to pass out from having the towering Grant relishing his full anger at him. He had never been on the receiving end of that before.

"Why does it matter so much? Wait a minute, Grant... Do YOU like Skye?"

And of course that was when Melinda decided to walk in. "Grant likes Skye?!"

"Shhh. Be quiet you guys. I never said I liked Skye. Sure she's gorgeous, but I've never actually talked to her. Besides, everyone I've ever dated in the past has gotten hurt."

"You're being dramatic. It's not like you've ever done anything to hurt anyone. We wouldn't keep moving from place to place with you if that was the case. Sure sometimes you can be an ass sometimes, but maybe Skye will make you ease up a bit."

"Thanks Mel. You always know just the right thing to say." he replied sarcastically.  
"Well I gotta get it trough your head somehow."

Phil pulled Grant to the side to talk to him about what was going on with him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Skye Goes Where No Skye Has Gone Before**

**Author Note: Alright guys. Here's another chapter for you. HOW ABOUT THAT EPISODE LAST NIGHT!? My feels are completely DESTROYED! I refuse to believe he is a bad person. It's gonna be torture waiting to see what comes next. You guys are amazing. Thanks for all of your support in this. Sorry this chapter is short, but last night's episode was so bad I'm gonna post another chapter in a bit to hopefully lift some spirits.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

Skye dropped the chocolate off to Jemma and noticed that Phil had taken Grant into the main living area to talk about something. _**This is my chance! **_ She left Jemma to primp and get ready to meet Fitz in the kitchen tonight and promised she would be back before she had to meet up with him. Skye raced down the stairs and headed towards the back spiral staircase. Excitement rang in her ears as she slowly climbed the stairs, careful to keep an ear out for anyone walking towards her. Once she got to the top of the stairs she was in an open gym area with a punching bag hanging in the center and free weights and mats along the walls. _**Nice. A fitness junkie. That explains why bumping into him on my first day of work felt like walking into a sexy over six foot tall brick wall. **_She looked around and noticed that there were 2 doors. Skye decided the best way to decide which room to go into first would be to stand in the middle and close her eyes and spin. She walked to the center of the room and closed her eyes. Pointing a finger out in front of her she started spinning.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the room next to the kitchen, Phil and Grant were having their own conversation. "Grant, are you worried that if you actually get attached to someone they'll get hurt like back when you lived at home with your mom and brothers? Maynard isn't here. You haven't seen him in years. I've spent alot of time with Skye since she's been here. She's like a magnet. People get drawn to her. Hell, _I've _gotten drawn to her. And she's stronger than she looks. That girl grew up an orphan. She knows how to survive, but she needs someone to love her. Why can't that be you?"

"I can't even talk to her without my mind going blank, Phil. It's like she makes me short circuit."

"Well if you don't make a move on her somebody else will. I can guarantee it. That girl was made for you, but every opportunity out there expires. Why don't you join us tonight while we watch a movie? It's just going to be Mel and I because I'm pretty sure Simmons and Fitz are going to be tied up most of the night. Skye will probably want to just hide away in her room waiting for Jemma to get back from spending time with Fitz."

"Alright, alright. You win. Since when did you get so wise anyways? Have you been doing Tai Chi and contemplating the meaning of life with your wife?"

"I've always been wise. You've just never bothered to listen."

Skye opened the first door she landed on when she got done spinning and her eyes grew huge as she let out a gasp. It was a giant library! Of not only books, but VINTAGE COMICS! She stood in the doorway admiring the cozy feel of the large room. The wall facing the door had a huge fireplace with a mantel that boasted photos of Grant when he was younger along with a younger looking Fitz and Phil and Melinda. There were other photos that she assumed were family and one of an older lady and Grant together. Next she noticed the shelved wall full of books. He had a collection that ranged from Non-Fiction Military Books to Comedies to Fiction. It seemed like Grant read anything he could get his hands on. The wall on the other side of the fireplace was full of vintage comics. Tons of Captain America and Marvel Comics along with Batman and some that were in other languages. Even more impressive was the fact that he had them organized by publisher. She grabbed a Thor comic and slipped it into her jacket. _**He won't miss this if I read it tonight and bring it right back tomorrow. There's a ton of books and comics in here! **_ She turned around and noticed the large coffee table next to the plush couch in the center of the room. There were probably half a dozen books with book marks in them on the coffee table. _**He must read in all of his spare time. Look at all these books he's in the middle of reading! **_ At that thought she happened to glance up at the clock above the mantel and realized she needed to get back to Jemma. Deciding that her exploring will commence at a later date, she turned around and headed towards the door. She reached for the knob and stopped when she heard someone walking on the other side of the door. Slowly she stepped back and saw a shadow stop at the door. After a couple of seconds that felt like minutes she released a breath she didn't know she was holding when the person on the other side of the door continued walking. She heard a door open and close and decided she would make her getaway. She got to the bottom of the stairs and almost walked right into Melinda.

"Shit"  
"What were you doing up there?"  
"Umm... I got lost?"  
"Sure you did."  
And with that Melinda walked down the hall.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Let The Ships Sail!**

**Author Note: Yay! Time for some character lovin! Hopefully this will help lift some spirits after what went down last night. And who can complain about 2 chapters in one day? I'm sure someone (Grant especially in upcoming chapters) is going to be OOC sometimes, but that's why I decided to do an AU for my first fic. I was thinking it would be easier and hopefully more forgiving with their personalities. Thanks for all of the feedback guys. I really appreciate it.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

Jemma put on her favorite outfit and looked in the mirror. She was nervous. All Skye said was that she needed to make sure she dressed cute and then she would be back in a few minutes. That was almost an hour ago! Skye insisted she wouldn't feel silly for dressing up after she got down there, but since Skye hasn't been back she was wondering if this was some prank of hers. Suddenly Skye burst through the door breathing heavily with a smirk on her face. "Wow Jem! You look amazing! You're gonna knock Fitz right off his feet! And if you don't then he clearly is in love with Grant, because there's no way he's straight."

"Thanks Skye. But what is with the smirk? And OH MY GOSH IS THAT A THOR COMIC?! Where the bloody hell did you get that?"  
"Shhh. I told you I was gonna shake things up! I snuck into the secret area of the mansion. There was a gym! And an amazing library! With COMICS! So I borrowed one. Don't worry I'll bring it back. Although, I think it will be kind of hard to do that since Melinda caught me sneaking back down the stairs."  
"Oh my gosh! You went over there! That was totally off limits! You'll get yourself fired and then I'll have to quit because I wouldn't be able to work here if you weren't here too. And Melinda caught you?! What happened?!"  
"She asked what I was doing up there and I said I got lost..."  
Jemma cut her off. "Seriously? For someone who is always doing things she's not supposed to, you are a terrible liar Skye. You got lost? We've been here for a month. I'm shocked she believed you."  
"Oh I doubt she believed me. But I told you she was a nice person. She just kept walking."  
"You are unbelievable..."  
"Oh enough about me. Lets go send you down to meet up with Fitz!

Jemma walked down to the kitchen and gasped as she walked through the door. She was immediately hit with the wonderful aroma of Fish and Chips. _**Mmmm smells like home. **_She noticed a table set up in the center of the kitchen set for 2 with a candle lit on top of it. There were flowers everywhere that she noticed must have been from the garden out back. Fitz stood to the side of the table dressed in nice jeans and a button up shirt. The poor guy looked so nervous fidgeting with the cuffs of his shirt but as soon as his eyes met hers his face broke into a huge grin. Immediately she melted and relaxed. "My goodness Leo. You did all of this yourself?" He just continued to stare at her. She started to panic and started to brush the front of her blouse and skirt with her hands. "Fitz? Is everything okay?"  
"Ye... *cough* Yes.. Sorry. Everything is fine. You look amazing. I forgot how to talk. Is this okay?" He swept his arm to his side towards the table set up. This was his first time trying to do something romantic for someone. He knew Jemma was special and he didn't want to blow this chance.  
Jemma blushed prettily. "Oh it's more than okay! This is positively wonderful!"  
Fitz walked over and took her hand in his. "Come sit down then. I made us fish and chips!"

Skye and Phil were standing outside the door peeking into the kitchen.  
"Awww my girl is growing up so fast! Look at her all dressed up!"  
"She does look very pretty, Skye. Poor Fitz doesn't know what hit him! I don't think he's ever been interested in anyone in the entire time I've known him. We'll have to see how this goes though. He usually freezes up... Oh wait... There he goes." Phil and Skye started to laugh as Fitz cleared his throat the first time Jemma tried to talk to him. "So what are you going to do with yourself tonight? I don't think I've ever seen you without your second half!"  
"Oh I don't know. I was thinking of just going into my bedroom and keep to myself tonight. I thought it would be fun to hack into the security cameras at the police station and watch people get thrown into the drunk tank. Let the adults have their fun."  
"I'm not even going to ask how many times you have done that or how you learned to do that. You can come hang out in the media room with Melinda and I. We were thinking of watching a movie tonight. There's gonna be popcorn and candy and you can pick the movie."  
"Alright. You had me at candy. Let me just get into my more comfortable clothes and I'll meet you guys in there."

Skye wandered off to her bedroom to take off her makeup and put on some sweat pants and a t-shirt. If she was going to sit with Melinda and Phil and watch a movie she might as well be comfy. It could turn into 4 or 5 movies and they'll end up in there half the night!

Phil ran into Melinda in the hallway shortly after Skye left to change.  
"Well look at this. Just the beautiful woman I wanted to see! Would you care to accompany me to see a movie m'lady?" With this, Phil over exaggerated a bow, took Melinda's hand in his and planted a kiss.  
"Very smooth. Do you use that line on all the pretty ladies you see?"  
*Gasp* "I am hurt at that accusation! You know nobody else would compare to you. Now lets hurry to the movie before my wife catches me! She's tough ya know." With that, Phil linked Melinda's arm with his and pulled her laughing towards the media room.

Grant was sitting in the room waiting for Phil and Melinda to show up to watch this stupid movie. He couldn't help but let his mind drift to just a little bit ago when he went up to his room to have a drink when he could have sworn the room smelled just like Skye's floral perfume. He stopped dead in his tracks when he reached his work out room. It was like she was haunting him everywhere he went. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Suddenly, as if the whole world was against him, Skye walked through the door. She was tapping away on her cellphone and hadn't noticed yet that he was in the room. It gave him the perfect opportunity to really get to look at her. He could tell she had recently taken off her make up and had changed into some loose sweat pants and a low cut t-shirt that hung in all the right places. Her hair was in a loosely braided strand that fell in front of one shoulder and just like that he was done for. That was it. He knew right then that he really wouldn't be able to live if he couldn't make her his. He stood up to try to get her attention and she crashed right into him. He put his hands on her waist to steady her as she looked up and locked her big brown eyes with his.  
"Oh I'm so sorry. We've got to stop running into each other like this. I thought I was meeting Phil and Melinda. I'll... just.."  
He kept a hold of her waist a second longer than necessary and looked her dead in the eyes as he softly told her, "Stay."  
She stared for a moment drinking him in. The look in his eyes wasn't the cold and closed off look she was used to seeing.  
Grant took this as an opportunity to continue. He didn't get to spend much alone time with her, but he knew he would definitely have to use rendering her speechless to his advantage. "I didn't mean to startle you. I know we don't keep running into each other on the best circumstances. I was meeting Phil and Melinda to watch a movie tonight too. They seemed to forget to tell us that the other was going to be here. You're always welcome to join us though. We haven't had a chance to get to know each other and I feel so rude."  
"Well you're a busy guy. I don't blame you at all for that. You have better things to do than visit with the help." She looked down at that last thought. Of course he wouldn't want to get to know her. She was just a maid working for him. He was a gorgeous millionare who could have anyone he wanted.  
Grant felt awful. _**Was that really how I've made her feel? That she's just the help and I don't see her as just another person? What kind of person am I? **_"Don't think that. I like to hope that we'll be able to be friends. Starting tonight. Phil and Mel are taking forever. Want to start a movie while we wait? I thought maybe we could watch Oceans Eleven. It's one of my favorites."  
Skye couldn't believe her ears. She has seen that movie a million times and loved it. Still, she kept her cool. "Oceans Eleven sounds great." She smiled at him and sat down as he turned the projector on to play the movie and grabbed some popcorn from the machine in the back. He plopped down next to her with the bag of popcorn between them.

Phil and Melinda has taken their time walking upstairs in hopes that this exact thing would happen. They quietly high-fived each other at their victory.  
Phil looked over at Melinda. "We really are excellent match makers. It was only a matter of time until the two of them came to their senses.  
"We are good. Grant and Fitz in one night!"  
"Lets just hope they have the charm to keep the girls interested."  
"I think they'll be okay, Phil. If you can win me over with the little charm you have they shouldn't have a problem."  
"Excuse me? What are you talking about? I ooze charm."  
With that Phil whisked Melinda away to go take a walk in the garden and prove just how much charm he had. They would allow the young love to blossom for a bit before they joined in on the movie.

**Disclaimer 2: I don't know if I have to mention it, but I don't own Oceans Eleven either. I do have the movie though. It's amazing if you haven't seen it, but I most definitely was not involved in creating it.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Philinda Anyone?**

**Author Note: I promise I'll try to put more of them into what we're doing. I like them together, but my OTP is Skyeward so they're the focus. I'm still slowly dying inside from what happened last week and probably gonna need therapy. We should start up an AOS support group! haha Thanks for all the support and for reading. I really appreciate it. You guys are amazing.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

Anytime Grant would move, Phil and Melinda would always make sure there was some sort of garden on the premisis and a gardener hired shortly after. Taking walks at night were a favorite activity of theirs. Melinda could often times be found watering plants or on her yoga mat doing tai chi. Melinda would always make sure roses and lavendar were planted at each home for luck and a section was made into an herb garden for her teas. The garden at the current Ward Mansion was a larger one than normal thus making it possible to have an assortment of trees spread throughout. Magnolias were Mel's favorite so Phil drove 45 minues to the next town over so he could suprise her with a Magnolia tree that he planted himself. Melinda was never one for romantic gestures, but that night when she walked out and saw a grinning Phil standing next to a newly planted magnolia tree with hanging candles in it and a bottle of wine she couldn't help but let her eyes sparkle and lock with his for a little longer than usual. It was times like those when she would be reminded why she fell so in love with the goofy man.

So she wasn't surprised to notice that as they walked arm in arm tonight along the lit flagstone path they arrived at her Magnolia tree where she had a bench placed. They sat down and looked out at the garden in silence for a moment. The path they had walked along had patches of soft grass in between each stone. The outer edge of it was softly illuminated with small lights, basking the flowers in a soft glow. There was a fountain in the center of the entire garden that doubled as a bird bath. There were half a dozen humming bird feeders hanging throughout, making it an oasis for not only the inhabitants of the house, but also the birds that were always out. Fragrant freesias and roses were common, while Ivy and Bouganvillea Vines were starting to grow up the back sides of the mansion and archways.

Melinda broke the silence first with a contented sigh, "I really like it here. I hope Grant decides to stay here. This garden is my favorite."  
"I can understand why. You've always loved flowers."  
"There's something tranquil and calming about being in the presence of flowers."

They sat for a few more moments in silence. This time it was Phil's turn to say something. He took one of his partner's dainty hands that held so much strength and turned to her. "Mel. You know I can read your eyes. I've spent the majority of my free time for a lot of years looking into those eyes. Somethin is bothering you. Don't let it bother you alone. Please talk to me." He pressed a soft kiss to her fingers.  
Melinda looked over at her partner, grateful that he cared so deeply, and placed her free hand on top of the one holding hers. "I saw Skye earlier. She was coming down the stairs from Grant's living quarters while you were talking to him. I don't know if we can trust her. She was told not to go up there."  
Phil started laughing. "Oh I knew she would be perfect for Grant! I doubt she did anything terrible. You know Fitz and I have gotten close to her and Jemma. I've grown especially close to Skye. She is just a curious person. She's never had anyone to belong to. She wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that here. I trust her. Hell, she's gotten under my skin. I care about the girl. She just likes to be adventurous. Think about how much she could get our Grant to open up! I know you can tell it too. You wouldn't be helping out on my plan to get the two of them to finally get along if you didn't. And you pranked her just the other day with her spray bottle. You wouldn't have bothered if she wasn't growing on you too."  
Melinda thought back to the time she put cooking oil in Skye's window cleaner bottle. She couldn't figure out how the windows weren't getting cleaned and kept streaking. Melinda smiled at the the memory. "You're right. She didn't strike me as a bad person either. You always know what to say."  
Phil tucked her into his side. "You know I sit in front of the mirror and practice saying the right thing to you." May giggled and he continued, "How about we go back inside and check on the lovebirds. I'd actually enjoy watching a movie with you tucked right into my side just like this."  
May hummed at the thought. "Let's just sit like this for a few more minutes. As tempting as that sounds, this is nice."  
"Anything for you dear." and with that he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and closed his eyes, savoring the feel of his soulmate in his arms.

Meanwhile, in the media room Grant and Skye had finished their movie and got so absorbed in talking they hadn't even started another. And if they finished with the popcorn and scooted a little closer to each other, they pretended not to notice. Skye was hysterically laughing at the story Grant was telling her about how Fitz had started a fire in the cooking room in highschool and he had to practically carry the poor Scotsman out of room.  
"Man, that Fitz really does like to blow stuff up doesn't he?!"  
"I don't mind it. Before, he used to be OBSESSED with trying to get a monkey. He used to drag me to the zoo every other day just so he could stand at the monkey exhibit. I couldn't tell you how many times I saw him drawing out plans to kidnap one and take it home. Trust me. The blowing stuff up in the kitchen is nothing to deal with compared to that. Besides, it seems to have caused a good excuse for Fitz and Simmons to spend time together."  
"Yea I can't complain with that logic. Although, I'm not gonna lie. A monkey would be adorable around here. But you're right. Simmons deserves to be happy. She spends too much of her time taking care of me and trying to keep me in line. She hardly does anything for herself."  
"Yea Fitz is the same way. He never does anything besides experimenting in the kitchen or spending time with me. I'm glad he's going to be able to start spending time with someone new. What are you going to do without Simmons?"  
"Oh I got along on my own for a long time before she moved to the orphanage. I have my laptop to entertain me and there's still so much to see here. The library is gorgeous. I'll probably spend most of my time there."  
_**Alright Grant. This is it. Ask her to hang out sometime. It's the perfect chance. You got this. You're Grant freaking Ward. Chicks loved you in highschool. What's the difference now? Sure she's quite possibly the most stunning person you will ever see in your entire life, but no pressure though or anything. **_He took a deep breath and looked at Skye, "Ya know... if you wanted to... sometime..."  
And that was when Fitz and Simmons came walking through the door holding hands and giggling like teenagers. "I'm telling you Jemma. A monkey is the perfect pet!"  
Grant groaned from being interrupted, "Wow Fitz. You're timing is unbelievable."  
Fitz looked up from Jemma and saw Grant sitting with Skye on the couch. "Oh bugger. I'm sorry Grant. Did I interrupt something?"  
At that point Skye jumped up from the couch and headed towards Jemma to give her a hug. "You are so telling me everything when we get back to our room."  
"Holy crap were you talking to Grant?"  
Grant sat on the couch looking like a kicked puppy from the loss and watched her walk across the room to Jemma. He was already feeling her absense from the couch. He was imagining what it would be like to be on the recieving end of one of those hugs when Phil and Melinda walked in.  
"Looks like the gang is all here! Let's watch a movie!"  
Everyone headed towards the sitting area when Grant stood up. "I'll just leave you guys to it then."  
"Grant, sit your butt back down right now." Phil was not about to let him get out of this one.  
Grant looked from Phil to Skye and saw her looking at him with hope. "Come on, Grant. Stay and watch the movie with us. I'll be the odd man out and that'll just be awkward."  
With a smile Grant sat back down. "Well we can't have that can we."  
Skye beamed at him and went to sit back down and scooted a little closer to him. She didn't even notice the rest of the occupants of the room get a mischeiveous glint in their eyes.

The media room had couches instead of chairs that faced the projector. Phil and Melinda were lying length-wise in each other's arms along one couch cuddled up with a blanket. Movie time was one of the few times that everyone else ever got to see the softer side of the Chinese woman. She just couldn't help snuggling up to Phil whenever a movie was playing. It was one of her guilty pleasures.

Jemma sat down on the couch next to Skye as Fitz got popcorn and candy for them. He sat down next to Jemma with their sides almost touching and the bucket of popcorn resting on one of each of their legs. Sure they had a lovely dinner, but he was just as shy as she was and wanted to take things slow between them. They started the movie and Skye leaned her head onto Jemma's shoulder. It was something they had been doing since Jemma started working at the orphanage. Skye always liked having physical contact with someone and Jemma never minded. She thought of Skye as a surrogate little sister and knew of her growing up in an orphanage and never quite feeling like she belonged with anyone. Jemma and Fitz kept brushing fingers and blushing and every once in a while Jemma would hold up some popcorn to feed to Skye as the movie played.

Grant amusedly kept glancing over at the girls and smiled. He thought of them as one unit and it was pretty clear that they thought of each other as family. He wondered what it would be like to have Skye rest her pretty little head on his shoulder while he fed her popcorn when he heard someone clearing their throat. He looked up to see Fitz on the other side of Jemma pointedly looking from him to Skye and then back to him to let him know that he was staring and if he wasn't careful he was going to freak poor Skye out. Grant faintly blushed and focused his attention back on the movie.

Skye noticed all of it though. She could feel Grant's eyes on her every so often and noticed out of the corner of her eye when he began to stare. She fought the urge to smile when Fitz cleared his throat to get Grant's attention and almost blushed at the thought that someone else had noticed him staring. She had noticed earlier when it was just her and Grant that he had a softer look in his eyes and eventually he looked pretty relaxed after talking for a few moments and she was thinking maybe he even enjoyed spending time with her. He definitely made her laugh.

Phil and Melinda remained oblivious to the children in the room, enjoying their time with each other and the movie. When it was finished playing she decided to head up for the night and suggested the others did too. It was getting late. Jemma and Skye soon followed and Fitz insisted on walking the girls to their room. Grant relocated to the library to read for a bit. It was still too early for him to get any rest and his mind was still too full of Skye to even be able to relax.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Fancy Meeting You Here**

**Authors Note: The non-bold italics are when I'm talking about something in the past. FYI :) So this is my chapter I'm posting after tonight totally ruined my life and now I'm too wired to sleep. That new episode and promo was BRUTAL ON THE SKYEWARD FEELS! Just stop! So enjoy this wonderful happy scene! Thanks for hanging in there with me guys. We'll go down with this ship together.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

Grant Ward sat in his private library with the fire roaring for the third night this week. He knew exactly what the problem was though and the problem came in the form of the gorgeous petite brunette. Everywhere he went he tried to run into Skye just so he could talk to her for a few minutes or catch a glimpse of her. He thought of things he could say to get her to laugh or smile. He lived for the moments when she did. It made him happy to know that he was the one causing her to laugh. He even started to like the way his name sounded when she said it. He was completely smitten and everyone had started to notice except for Skye.

_ Grant had just walked out of a room with a smile because he had just gotten finished talking to Skye when he bumped into Phil. "You believe in soulmates, Grant? You never know where you'll find yours. She completes you ya know." And with that he would leave with a smirk before Grant could even ask him what he was talking about._  
_ Fitz had approached him one time when he was visiting with him in Grant's gym. "Ya know, Skye is alone quite a bit now since Jemma and I have started spending more time together. I bet she could use some company."_  
_ "She's been spending a lot of time with Phil. I'm sure she's fine, Fitz. Now if you want me to help you get more muscle you should spend more time punching harder."_  
_ "I should be spending my time trying to get you to see what's right in front of you." mumbled Fitz as he jabbed at the punching bag again._  
_ Melinda had taken to just smirking every time she walked into a room to check on Skye's progress and caught her talking to Grant._

_ Even Jemma tried to convince Skye that Grant had a thing for her. "Don't you think it's a little strange that he always seems to need something out of whatever room you're cleaning? I mean he never goes into rooms I'm cleaning, let alone talks to me until May comes in to break it up."_  
_ "Maybe he just likes having someone new to talk to, Jem. Why would he like me? I'm just an orphan from a small town. I didn't grow up privileged. He'd probably get disowned for bringing me home."_  
_ "Oh rubbish. I'll talk to Fitz about it. I think you're wrong."_  
_ "Do whatever you want Jem. It's a free country after all." she said as she laughed and walked away._

Grant got up from his chair and decided that he wouldn't be able to read tonight after going over the same paragraph almost a dozen times. Skye was too engraved in his brain for that. He looked out the window and noticed it was a nice night out and he hadn't spent alot of time in the garden since they moved in. He always saw Phil and Melinda walking through it. _**It's late enough. Phil and Mel won't be out there. What better way to clear my head than to go on a late-night walk.**_ With that Grant grabbed a light coat and headed for the back door.

Skye had been sitting out in the garden for the past hour reading a book on the lawn. She loved to sit cross-legged and propped up against the archway in the back that had ivy hanging all around it. There were lots of flowers around the area she sat, giving her some privacy and made her feel like she was alone in a field. It became her new place to go once Jemma and Leo started hanging out more often. She liked having the time to herself sometimes. Jemma was like a sister and Phil and her had been doing a lot of bonding, but sometimes she craved the solitude she used to have when she was younger.

Grant was walking along the garden when he could have sworn he heard a soft laugh. _**Who the hell is out here? And this late? Nobody is ever out walking around as late as I am.**_Grant walked towards where he thought he heard the sound and stopped dead in his tracks. Sitting just a few yards from him on the lawn reading a book like some sort of dream he conjured up himself was Skye. She had her legs tucked underneath her with a glass of wine that she would slowly take a sip of once in a while whilst reading. He took advantage of his out of view position and watched her for a few minutes and noted how he could tell what was going on in the story by looking at her eyes. She would knit her eyebrows together or smile or frown. He found it entertaining to watch, knowing she got as into a book as he did. He walked closer to her to make his presence known and when she finally looked up into his eyes and smiled he did something he was never good at before. He flirted with her.

A smile formed on his lips and his eyes sparkled as he looked at her, "Fancy meeting you here. Come here often?"  
She laughed. "I might have been here before once or twice. Care to join me?" She raised an eyebrow as if to challenge him and gestured towards the other end of the archway.  
"Well what kind of gentleman would I be to deny a pretty lady of such a request." He saw her blush and thought to himself that he needed to make that happen more often.  
"Couldn't sleep?"  
"Naw. I've never been one to fall asleep early. It's kind of a habit going out on late night walks. I don't usually run into anyone this late at night though."  
"Yea I've always been one to be out roaming real late as well. I like the tranquility of the night time and I know how to blend in, go unnoticed so I don't get in the way."  
"I doubt you go anywhere unnoticed."  
She blushed again and Grant became positive of his earlier assumption _**definitely need to make her blush more often.**_  
"You're full of nice things to say tonight. Did something good happen that I missed?"  
He moved closer to Skye. "You happened." With that he reached his hand out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. She leaned in to his touch and closed her eyes, a smile forming on her lips. He mustered all his courage and slipped his hand to cup the back of her neck and gently pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. She opened her eyes to look into his and saw nothing but warmth. Right then she knew that she was done for and he actually did have feelings for her. She reached out to cup his cheek and he turned into her hand, kissing her palm and then moving to place a kiss to her wrist. She softly gasped at such an intimate action and he moved in to kiss her lips. Her soft lips on his became his new favorite feeling and her floral scent mixed with the flowers in the garden were forever etched into his mind. Their tongues danced together and for a moment everything around them disappeared except for the other person. They separated when air became necessary and Skye did the only thing that she could think of at the moment. She whispered, "Wow."  
Grant chuckled and cupped her cheek as he leaned in for one last soft peck to her lips, before standing up and taking her small hand in his. "Come on. We should be heading in anyways. It's late and it's getting cold." He took off his coat and draped it across her shoulders and she snuggled into it savoring the feel of his warmth around her and his scent mixing with hers underneath the coat.  
Grant walked Skye all the way up to her room and insisted she keep the jacket when she tried to shrug it off. He bent down and kissed her forhead as a goodnight and walked away from a beaming Skye with a huge grin on his face and the memories from earlier to last him all night.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: I Spy With My Little Eye**

**Author Note: Here's another chapter! It's not my favorite, but I thought it would be cute for the friendship side of this. I promise we'll get back to the fluff again soon. Thank you guys for all of your support and nice reviews and follows. I'm so happy ya'll are enjoying this as much as I'm enjoying writing it. If you have anything you might wanna see in future chapters let me know and I'll try to fit it in! :)**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

Skye kept her eyes locked with Grant's as she slowly closed the door to her bedroom. Her smile was still on her face as she leaned back against the door trying to commit everything that had happened to memory. _**Grant Ward just kissed me! And said such sweet things! He really does like me! **_She quietly made her way to the restroom connected to the bedroom. When she walked back out of the restroom a few minutes later Jemma was sitting up in bed with the light on her nightstand on.  
"Where were you missy? It's late and you are beaming! AND WHOSE JACKET IS THAT?! Tell me everything!" Jemma teased.  
"I went out to the garden for a bit to read. And what are you doing up? I thought you were asleep."  
"Don't change the subject! You don't get to hold out on me. I was asleep, but I heard you outside of the door and woke up. I'll get Fitz to cook you nothing but oatmeal until you tell me and you know he'll stay on my side."  
Skye gasped, "You wouldn't! You've totally been around me too much. You're getting vindictive!"  
Jemma laughed and scooted over so Skye could sit on the bed with her. Skye began to recount her time with Grant in the garden and Jemma started to squeal. The girls ended up staying awake for hours exchanging stories about the men that they were slowly getting to know better and develop major feelings for.

Grant got to his private library and sat down in his oversized chair and laughed. He had gone outside to get Skye out of his head and then ended up not only running into her, but then he went ahead and did something crazy and kissed her! Grant was never the impulsive type, but for some reason whenever he saw Skye he didn't even think. It was like his brain shut down and an immediate response took over that wanted to be close to her and make her smile. He couldn't say he regretted being impulsive tonight either. It was actually one of the best decisions he'd made in a long time.

He looked up when he heard a knock at his door. "Come in."

Fitz walked in the door with a smile on his face. "I saw you out in the garden. I knew you liked her. I totally called it."

Grant just laughed and got up out of his chair to clap his friend on the back. He walked over to where a bottle of scotch sat and poured a glass for himself and Fitz. Fitz went over to where he was and grabbed a glass and clinked it with Grant's. "To us both finally finding someone to complete us."

The men both thought back on all of the times things hadn't worked out with someone in the past and figured it was all for good reason. Fitz was always the romantic type, but he was shy. He had liked women in the past, but usually took too long to act on it leaving the women to move on. For some reason when he met Jemma he couldn't stand the fact that she might end up meeting someone else. He wanted her all for himself. He had never experienced that before, finally giving him the courage he needed (with a little push from Skye) to tell Jemma how he felt. Grant on the other hand never got close to anyone. Sure he had had women in the past that he would sleep with, but it was always meaningless and he would never stay the night. He had never had true feelings for anyone. It wasn't an intentional thing on his part. He wouldn't go out looking for it or anything. He was always just cautious with who he would let in. As soon as he met Skye though, he felt something he had never felt before. She took his breath away and he knew that he wanted to be the one who took hers. After getting a push from Phil and paying attention to the romantic antics of Phil and Fitz, he decided to just jump and take a shot. Lucky for both men, taking chances paid off. Grant and Fitz poured themselves a second drink and walked out of the library into Grant's game room to play some pool and talk about the new women in their lives.

The next day lead to what would soon become a new routine for the four youngest members of the house. After the girls finished with their assignments for the day they would continue their tradition of sitting together in the library and talk or read to each other as Skye hacked into video feeds of the town on her laptop to make fun of people together. They would then change and go down to meet the rest of the house for dinner. They all started eating together from the start, but Grant hadn't joined them until recently and Phil and May were only occasionally there since they like their time alone together. So once Fitz finished cooking dinner, sometimes with help from Jemma, they would all sit down together in the dining room and eat dinner. It was an occasion that everyone looked forward to. There was always a lot of conversation and laughing once the girls moved in and it was a nice change for the other occupants of the house. If Phil and Melinda joined everyone else for dinner, they would leave to walk around the garden shortly after. On nights that Fitz, Jemma, Skye, and Grant decided to do something together they could usually be found in the media room watching a movie or playing charades. Charades was something Skye had come up with and Grant would always start off reluctant to play, but by the end of the night (and after a few drinks) everyone would get into it with Fitz and Jemma always being in sync and Skye usually doing something so ridiculous to act out whatever the subject was that Grant would spend most of the time laughing and not able to even guess. They'd play poker with popcorn for their bets and one time, Skye and Jemma even convinced the guys to slide around in their socks with them in the ballroom.

On nights when the couples wanted to be together, Fitz and Jemma would head back towards the kitchen for more experiments more often than not. Grant and Skye could usually be found in the library or media room. With Grant and Skye usually in a common area, they found themselves being interrupted by another couple often. It wasn't necessarily unwelcomed, they loved their friends, but sometimes they wanted a night with just the two of them. This led to Grant's decision a few months later to show Skye his private wing in the back of the mansion where they would finally be able to get some real alone time. She would be the first woman that Grant had shown his intimate living area and it made him nervous to think about it. Fitz and Phil had spent many nights with Grant in the back of the mansion and on occasion even Melinda would join, but he saw them more as family than friends, a constant in his life. It was always considered a sort of sanctuary to Grant and he was very picky with who exactly he shared that sanctuary with. Fitz and Phil assured him that Skye would appreciate the space and he wouldn't regret letting her in. He couldn't help the knots in his stomach as he thought about letting such an important person to him see this side that he never showed. They had been spending a lot of their time together and he found his feelings for her only grew, making him realise that she really was who he had been waiting for all of this time. With a deep breath he mustered up all the courage he could and decided that he was being a wuss for being so nervous about it. Skye was the least judgemental person he knew and he had never felt so happy with someone before. He had no reason to worry.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: A Special Place Fit For Two**

**AN: Yay for some ridiculously fluffy and much needed Skyeward moments! I'm so scared for the episode tomorrow. I seriously can't think about it without freaking out so I don't know if I'm gonna be able to update again tomorrow. I'll probably be a mess for a few days. This chapter is the longest so far though so hopefully you'll all be able to bear with me. Thanks for all of your support! Ya'll are amazing and I really appreciate everything you guys have to say.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

One morning Skye went downstairs with Jemma to get her assignment and learned that they had the day off. They each changed and decided to spend half the day together and the other half with their men. They had learned that at least once a month Melinda would give the girls a day off to do whatever they wanted to. It usually involved half the day with each other and then the other half with the boys or as a group. They appreciated it and always looked forward to it. It was always fun for the girls because they never knew ahead of time when they would be getting the time off, but it seemed the boys sometimes knew and would have something planned for them. Skye and Jemma spent this morning off watching chick flicks in the media room and were even joined by Melinda at one point. The women went downstairs to meet the men for lunch while Phil and Melinda had their own lunch and then everyone split up again. Fitz had planned for him and Jemma to go to a new restaurant down the road and then stop off at the library so Jemma could pick up whatever new medical books they had in town. She might be spending her time as a made, but she still aspired to have a clinic in the small town they lived. Skye couldn't find Grant anywhere so she decided to go down the road to the electronics store to see what new things they got in. Phil accompanied her since he didn't like the idea of her walking around town alone. They spent the time talking to each other. Phil would glare at any man that spent more time than necessary looking at Skye and she would giggle at him and tuck her arm into his, leading him away from the poor staring men. Skye enjoyed Phil's company. It was like having a father to watch over her to make sure nobody was going to do her wrong or cause her any harm when she was out. He truly cared for her and it was something new to her and she was growing to really appreciate it.

Phil and Skye had started bonding the day she found him reading a Captain America comic in his office. After that they would talk about comics which led them to just spending more time together in general. Melinda pointed out that he had become over-protective of her and he just replied by saying that he knew she was just as watchful as he was. Phil had always thought of Grant as a sort of son, but after meeting Skye he really felt a special bond with her. He knew she was a strong and independent person, but he still had the urge to protect the petite woman whenever he could. Skye never had parents and liked the fact that if she ever had a problem she could come to Phil about it and he would do everything he could to make sure she was okay. Even Melinda had more than once made a point to be available if Skye needed anything. They made her feel welcomed and found they always made a point to talk to her at some point in the day to see how her day was going. Skye could always be found near Phil or Melinda if Fitz and Simmons were gone. She would sit next to Phil and rest her head on his shoulder while they read whatever comic he brought down from Grant's library or would nap on his couch covered in blankets after long shifts while he did paperwork. Sometimes she would sit and read in whatever room Melinda was in. Her and Mel didn't talk much, but the silence together was a comfortable one and if Skye ever had a question or concern Melinda would answer.

Skye and Phil returned from their trip to the electronics store (with Phil holding her shopping bags of course) to find Grant standing in the entryway waiting for her. He insisted on taking the bags to her room for her and said he had something he wanted to show her. Skye got excited at that statement. She loved it whenever Grant had a surprise for her. It wasn't often, but whenever he had given her anything she enjoyed it. He wasn't showy with what he would gift her with, but it definitely came from the heart. She had found out from Phil that he wasn't normally the romantic type, but then again he hadn't ever seen him truly interested in anyone before. She noticed that Grant was more affectionate when they were alone and found he liked being close to her whenever they were in a room together (which she could never complain about). Never before though had Grant had something he wanted to show her. It was always some sort of small gift he would have with him when they would meet up in the afternoon on her days off. He took her hand today though and led her to the back staircase to his living area.

Grant looked over at a wide-eyed Skye and said to her, "I wanted to share this with you. Is that okay?"  
Skye gaped at him for another moment before getting her voice. "Yea it's definitely okay. Are you sure you want to?"

"With you I really do." He remained holding her hand as he led her up the staircase. Sure she had been into this room before, but now it was because she was invited. She knew this was a rare occurance and it wasn't to be taken lightly. Fitz had told her that he had never allowed anyone in the past into his private living area. Fitz, Phil, and May were the only ones to ever spend time with him in there and even they didn't frequent the area. Phil and Melinda would only take books from the library and then go to some other area of the house and Fitz would only go into the game room if he knew Grant had a long day and needed to unwind or if he felt like challenging his old friend.

When Skye and Grant got to the top of the stairs she noticed the gym again. She couldn't help but look impressed all over again at how serious he took working out. Grant caught the look and laughed at her. "It passes the time."  
"Oh I'm most definitely not complaining. I've always wanted to learn how to defend myself for whenever I go anywhere alone. As much as I love being out at night, I know it can be dangerous."  
"I'd teach you... If you want."  
Skye jumped and gave him a hug, "You would do that?! I'd like that a lot!"  
"Of course I would. I want you to be safe. Although, I don't know when you'll ever be going anywhere alone again. We're always here for you.  
"Thanks Grant. I really appreciate that." With a step closer to him, Skye walked up and rested a dainty hand on his chest. He looked down at her and then quickly snapped out of the trance he was in when he looked into her eyes.

Grant cleared his throat and took her hand in his and proceeded to show her the library. It looked different from before. He had a couch and a large sitting chair next to an end table before. But now, sitting where the small couch used to sit was a new chaise lounge and then another oversized chair just large enough for two on the other side of the end table next to Grant's chair. "I noticed how much time you spent in the library and had new furniture put in here. I thought we could share this room so I made it more comfortable for two." He started to blush, visibly trying to get used to his new feelings and being so open about them, and looked over at Skye who was skimming her fingers along the comic books on the wall and looking at Grant contently.  
"It's wonderful Grant. It's so cozy in here. I would definitely enjoy spending time with you in this library." With that she walked towards him and softly pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Did you do all of this for me?" He nodded his head. "I feel like it must have been a lot of trouble to go through. I'm sure I still would have loved it in here with whatever you had in here before." She looked away slightly embarrassed. Nobody had ever put that much consideration into making her happy and feel comfortable. She felt like he was going out of his way for her and she didn't want to be any trouble or extra work. Grant hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her head to look at him.  
"Skye, I don't want you to think for a second that anything I do for you is going out of my way. It makes me happy to see you happy. I want to do things for you. Besides, I never really liked the set up all that much in here before. I've never cared for anyone like I care about you. I've never had someone before that I could do things like this for." With that he kissed her forehead and she smiled at him. Taking that as a sign of encouragement he went on to show her his collection of books and told her she was welcome to anything she wanted. She blushed at the thought of being able to share such nice things with him. Everything he had was so nice. She had never owned anything to even compare. She walked over to the fireplace and noticed the photos again sitting above it. He explained the photos were of his family when he was younger and the older woman in the photo with an older looking Grant was his Gramsy. He explained he was still close with her and she enjoyed coming out to visit him. She's even had her own room set up at every place he's lived in. Skye zoned out for a moment at the thought of having family like that. Someone to come visit you just because they cared.

After the library, Grant walked Skye to the next room over and smiled at her with a dreamy wink. "You're gonna love this." He made her close her eyes and he opened the door and walked her into the room. "Okay Skye. Open your eyes." She gasped and her eyes lit up. It was a game room! He knew she loved playing games and that she would love this. They had bonded over their love of board games and Skye had mentioned missing the games they had at the orphanage. Luckily, Grant felt the same way about games and had almost all of the games she talked about. In the center of the room was a pool table and along one wall was a bar and seating area. Along another wall was a bunch of shelves with board games. He also had a dart board and a desk with a computer on it and a TV with a new Xbox hooked up to it. He had battleship set up on a small table that had large cushioned chairs on each side. She gasped when she spotted it. "You have battleship! Oh my gosh, Grant we have to play!" He laughed and motioned for her to go over to the table and sit. He went to the bar and poured each of them a drink and sat across from her. They spent the next couple of hours drinking and playing battleship. Grant couldn't remember the last time he felt this content or happy or comfortable with someone besides his surrogate family. After spending most of the day in the game room they cuddled into a chair in the library and he read aloud to her. She rested her head on his chest and followed along with his reading, but soon fell asleep with the help of the comforting hum of his voice on her cheek. She smiled as she drifted off, listening to Grant lull her to sleep with his voice. Right before she drifted off fully, she could faintly feel Grant press a kiss to her temple and whisper goodnight. She snuggled into him and felt him wrap an arm around her and rest his head on top of hers as he continued to read to himself not quite ready to release her from this new feeling of her in his arms.

Skye awoke the next morning confused as to where she was or how she got there. She knew she wasn't in any danger, because wherever she was it was wonderful. The large bed she was in was extremely soft but was still firm enough to support her body. She was in her clothes from last night, but she could tell the bed sheets were soft. The room was dimmed from the closed curtains, but she could tell that she had slept in later than she normally does. She took a deep breath in through her nose and stilled when she realized it smelled like Grant! She shifted in the bed and noticed an arm around her waist that tightened once she moved. Her back was then pressed up against someone firm and warm and her stomach fluttered. Grant pulled her closer against him and she was amazed at how perfectly her petite frame melded to his larger one. He wrapped a leg over both of hers and buried his nose in her hair. She could feel him smile against her and then press a soft kiss to her head. She let out a contented sigh and then turned around to face him. He smiled, glad that she was finally awake. "Good morning sleepy head. I must say, waking up next to someone as gorgeous as you is something a guy can get used to."  
Skye blushed and giggled. "For someone who isn't big on flirting, you ain't too shabby with the flattery."  
"It's not flattery when I mean it. I hope you don't mind, but you fell asleep in the chair in the library and I just couldn't part with you so I took you to bed with me."  
"I don't mind at all. A girl could actually get used to this."  
Grant chuckled and pulled her closer to him. They continued laying in his bed for a few more minutes and then decided they should make their debut for the day. When they got out of bed Skye noticed that Grant was only in boxers and a t-shirt and quickly looked the other way. Sure he was ridiculously gorgeous, but for some reason she still felt like she was intruding. This gave her the opportunity to check out his large room. It was decorated in earthy tones and had accents of deep blues and reds. The large bed was centered against one of the walls with an end table on each side. There was a string of lights hanging at the top of the headboard that he could use at night for reading. The room had a small book case against a wall and a balcony that stretched the entire length of another wall that was full of floor to ceiling windows. The room felt even larger due to the large windows on each wall and the double doors leading out to the balcony. His room didn't boast much furniture, but still maintained a decorated feel. He was simple in his tastes, but appreciated the finer things and it showed. Skye noticed Grant had pulled on a pair of sweat pants (thank goodness because she was losing her mind with that much of him exposed) and walked into the restroom connected to his room. She stopped dead in her tracks once she entered it. The bathroom was huge! There was a huge vintage looking bathtub resting on claw legs that sat in a corner. The large step in shower was next to it with glass walls on each side of it and boasted a bench to sit on inside of it with a waterfall shower head hanging from the top. Two sinks sat in front of a large framed mirror with marble counter tops. The center of the bathroom ceiling was glass, making a huge sky light that provided tons of natural light and let you look up into the sky. It was roomy and open and the nicest bathroom Skye had ever seen. She walked back out to find Grant standing in the room waiting for her. "I'm sure you want to get ready for the day and everything. It's gorgeous outside. I was thinking we could all have breakfast together today on the patio. It's something we usually like to do on nicer days."

"That sounds awesome. I'll go let Jem know. She'll love it."

Grant walked her to the bottom of the stairs and then parted ways with her agreeing to meet outside in an hour and a half for breakfast. He had to go let Phil and Melinda know what they were doing and knew that an hour and a half would give everyone, including Fitz, time to get ready before meeting outside.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Brunch On The Patio and Self Defense**

**AN: Okay guys, tonights episode destroyed me emotionally. I'm surprised my neighbors didn't call the cops thinking I was getting attacked. So here's some more fluff for those of us that believe there is enough stress in the real world and fluff should live on in here. Hopefully it helps balance out those awful feelings from tonight's episode. I hope ya'll enjoy and thanks for all of your continued amazing support. So things get kinda sorta steamy with this chapter. It's not graphic or anything, but stuff is mentioned so if you aren't cool with that kind of stuff then its after the self defense and you can just read up to that point and be done with the chapter. Okay? Okay :) Let's do this!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

An hour and a half later Skye and Jemma found themselves outside helping Fitz set up the table for their brunch with everyone. The patio off the kitchen was made for times like this. It was a stone patio that had the table and chairs in the center of it. A large tree shaded the area where the table sat and the only other decoration on it was a few potted plants and some lights for at night. There were 3 wooden steps that led from the patio down to another stone area that included a fire pit for roasting marshmallows and a grassy path that led to the garden. Flowers and bushes were planted all around the area. There was a built in bbq and mini fridge on the lower level for sunny days and a small waterfall that flowed into a pond next to it.

The girls were still helping Fitz set the table as Melinda came walking out with her arm tucked into Phil's. She was smiling at something Phil had whispered to her and he pulled a chair out for her to sit down in. He pushed her chair in for her and pressed a kiss to her hand as he sat down in the chair next to her. Skye and Jemma exchanged a smile having discussed how adorable they both thought Phil and Melinda were together. He really did dote on her. Jemma sat down at the table as Fitz came walking out and took the seat next to her. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and Skye smiled, happy that her friend finally found someone who she can be herself with and made her happy.

Skye sat down and looked at the people around her. They really had become the closest thing she's ever had to a family before and she couldn't help but feel a strong sense of contentment wash over her. Coincidentally, she looked up and saw Grant walk through the door with a smile on his face that grew when his eyes locked with hers. The group noticed the moment between the two and were happy that Grant finally displayed his happiness for them to see. He walked over to Skye and pressed a kiss to the side of her head and let his fingers trail along her shoulders as he walked across the table to sit in his chair. Skye blushed at his open showing of affection, but felt special in her own right that he felt comfortable enough to finally show everyone how happy they were. Everyone had known that they were slowly growing on each other and had gotten close, but this was the first time they saw first hand how Grant and Skye felt about each other.

Jemma had spoken with Fitz earlier in the morning and told him about how Skye never came back to their room and she was worried that something had happened. He was surprised to hear about it to say the least (Grant had his share of one night stands, but he never woke up with them), but Fitz was quick to assure Jemma that underneath his tough exterior Grant was a true gentleman and he was sure there was a logical explanation. He noticed Jemma relax once she saw the way Grant and Skye had responded to each other this morning at the table.

Conversation during brunch was constant, as it always was during their meals. Everyone was happy to be outside in the warm weather and it showed. Fitz had prepared a light and filling meal that everyone of course enjoyed and were also impressd that nothing exploded during the preparations. Phil and Skye at one point started to throw pieces of food across the table at each other and Fitz complained they were wasting the food he worked so hard to cook. Jemma was laughing while dodging pieces of rougue food and trying to get Fitz to lighten up. Luckily Skye was a good shot and didn't hit Melinda in the crossfire. Mel kept to her persona of not showing much emotion and kept a straight face and acted as if the food fight wasn't happening right next to her, but Phil noticed the gleam in her eye at the giggling from the mini food fight. Grant just shook his head and chuckled to himself and watched Skye with twinkling eyes, happy to see that she was finally getting more comfortable here and feeling at home. Skye volunteered to clean up the table at the end of the meal and Phil volunteered to help her (they were the main culprits of the mess anyways). Jemma did the dishes while Fitz put away the leftovers and Melinda ventured off to go do whatever she does when everyone else is busy. After everyone was done cleaning, the couples broke off to go do their own thing.

Jemma and Fitz had a rare moment out of the kitchen and decided they were going to spend some time in the media room together. They were soon snuggled up on a couch with popcorn and candy resting on them, waiting to be eaten during their marathon of movies they had lined up.

Skye went in search of Grant. She ventured her way up the stairs and saw him punching away on the punching bag in the center of the room. His shirt was off and a light spattering of sweat was glistening on his clean shaven chest. She drank him in for a few moments before walking up to him and using his line that he had used on her that night in the garden. "Fancy meeting you here. Come here often?"

He laughed and paused his punches to take a sip of his water bottle. "I might have been here before once or twice. Care to join me?"

She bit her lower lip and thought about it. _**No better time than the present to learn something new. **_"Okay." was her final answer.

Grant slowly and carefully bandaged her hands for her and explained to her why it needed to be done this way. She nodded in acknowledgement, drinking in every piece of information he gave her. He then started to show her the basics: punching, kicking, elbowing, and noticed she was actually a quick learner. He soon became distracted by her determination and how beautiful she still looked with her hair a mess and body lightly glazed in persperation. She noticed his lingering gaze and decided they had trained enough. She wanted to toy with him for a bit. She slowly stepped around the punching bag and smirked when she noticed his gaze followed her. "See something you enjoy Mr. Ward?"

_** Busted.**_ "Oh I'm very much enjoying the view ma'am. I think I might need a closer look to really take in the everything though." With that he stepped closer to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, still gazing into her big brown eyes.

"What a gentleman you are. Appreciating the beauty in the things around you."

Grant whispered into her ear, "Well I was always taught to be a gentleman. But with such beauty in front of me, it would be a crime not to notice and appreciate it." With that he pressed a soft kiss to her temple and smirked when he saw goosebumps on her arms. She closed her eyes and savored the feel of him holding her. He then pressed a kiss to her cheek, moved to place one on her jaw line and then the corner of her mouth. Her eyes remained closed and she smiled.

He took her hand and without saying a word lead her to the bathroom. She followed his lead, trusting him fully, and watched him as he turned on the water to the oversized bathtub. He stood up and looked at her, eyes full of want and passion and she blushed under his gaze. He looked into her eyes, hoping that she would understand that he would never do anything she didn't want to do. "Is this okay?" He carefully asked her.

"Always, with you Grant". He smiled at her answer and felt his heart swell at the trust in her gaze. With the assurance from Skye, he started his process of showing her just how much she meant to him. How much he worshipped her. She was the happiness he had always craved and he wanted her to know it. He pressed a kiss to her lips and then slowly unwrapped her hands from the work out they just engaged in. The tape slid to the floor and he pressed a kiss to each palm. He then moved to her wrists and kissed each one. He moved the strap of her tank top off of a shoulder and pressed a kiss to her shoulder than collar bone. She shivered under his touch and he smirked with newfound confidence, craving the way she responded to him. He continued to slowly undress her and press kisses to each area that became exposed. She then took her turn in carefully undressing him and together they sank into the oversized tub together and lied in each others arms, savoring the feeling of being together so intimately.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Long Live FitzSimmons!**

**AN: Alright kids, a new chapter! Some FitzSimmons fluff for those of you that love em too like I do. I hope you find this AU to be as nice of an escape as I do from the emotionally compromising real life drama going on in the show. Let me know what you guys think. As always, thanks for all of the support, all the new follows and favorites, and all of your kind words. I wouldn't have had the guts to even take the story this far without all of you.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

As the months went on, the occupants of the mansion settled more and more into a routine. Skye and Jemma were expected to do less and less work and Melinda hired a few new people to do the work that Skye and Jemma did not do anymore and to help Leo in the kitchen. It became clear this was going to be their home for a while. Any time the girls didn't spend with each other was spent with Grant and Leo. The four of them had developed a routine of spending at least one night a week doing a "group date" usually at the mansion. One more night a week was spent with everyone in the house doing something together, Phil and Melinda included. A lot of the time it was movies, but occasionally they would get together and play some sort of game. Everyone noticed Melinda slowly getting more and more open when she was around as well. She enjoyed all of the company that came with Skye and Jemma living in the house and even Grant was shocked at how often he found her talking to Skye and smiling when in a room with everyone.

Skye was constantly on Grant's mind. He spent hours trying to figure out what it was about her that made her a magnet to everyone she met. He had gone out in town with her a few times and noticed even strangers were drawn to her and he realized that it wasn't just one thing that drew in everyone she met; it was many. She was bubbly and bright and could make conversation with anyone. She was the least judgemental person he had ever met and saw the good in everyone. She believed in second chances and having fun in everything she did. Every time she walked into a room that he was in, he would stop what he was doing and just stare at her. It was like a light was turned on and he never wanted it to go out. He was like a moth drawn towards a light. He found himself following Skye wherever she went, wanting to be wherever she was, trying to make conversation with her, and it was then that he understood why everyone else in the house was more cheery and why everyone wanted to be around her. She was the life of the house. It was also then that he realized that he didn't want to ever be without her.

For months, Skye had been staying with Grant in his room and Jemma had been sleeping in Leo's room. It took the girls a while to get used to not sharing a room anymore, but the fact that they were still in the same house made it bearable. They realised that this was the perfect set up for them. They liked that they could each be with the men that they loved yet still essentially live together. The mansion was large enough that the couples didn't feel like they were walking all over each other.

Leo had his own large bedroom over the kitchen on the other side of the mansion. When Jemma had moved into his bedroom, she dragged Leo along with her to buy new linens for the bed and other little knick knacks she needed for the bedroom and restroom. Leo, being the easy going guy that he is, followed her around like a puppy and agreed to everything she wanted to do. He just wanted her happy even if it meant that she wore the pants in the relationship most of the time.

A year passed with the girls living at the mansion and Skye and Jemma arrived in the kitchen to get their (very) small assignment list. They noticed that as time passed with them living in the house, their assignment list would get shorter and shorter and more employees would be introduced. Whenever they asked Melinda about it she would just answer with a smirk and a "I might have hired someone to help you two get stuff done when you get destracted by the boys." Once they got down to the kitchen today though, they found that there was no Fitz in the kitchen. There was a cup of coffee for Skye and a cup of tea for Jemma along with a rose from the garden. The girls looked at each other and smiled, wondering what the boys had planned. Their assignment lists read, "**Have a lovely day off! Maybe you should start it in the ballroom."** The girls walked straight to the ballroom with their cups of caffeine in their hands and smiled when they saw everyone in the ballroom standing around a table with lots of food and pastries. "SURPRISE!" Everyone walked up to give the girls a hug.

Fitz and Grant walked up first, "Happy one year of making us two of the happiest guys in the world. We're so glad you two came into our lives." With that they pressed a kiss to each of the girls' cheeks and Phil and Melinda walked up to give them each a hug. Most of the day passed with everyone in the ballroom playing games and telling stories. At one point they lit a fire and all sat around it on furniture that was carried in, since nobody wanted to be too far away from the food. With everyone stuffed about midday they figured they would all part ways for the day for naps and walks.

That was when Grant quickly linked Skye's arm with his and pulled her toward the direction of the kitchen where Leo and Jemma had just gone.

"Grant, what are we doing? We never go to the kitchen. I wanna go take a nap." she pouted.

Grant laughed at her. "Shhh just listen for a second. You're gonna love this. And if you want to take a nap after, well you know I'll always accompany you for a nap if it means I get to hold you."

Just as Skye was about to say something else, she heard Jemma squeal. She looked through the door crack and saw Leo down on one knee.

"Jem. You moved in here with Skye and I swore it was destiny. I never thought I would meet anyone else from across the pond and here you come walking in and just like that I was done for. You make me ridiculously happy and I want to spend the rest of my days returning the favor. You are the most beautiful person I have ever met, inside and out, and I can't imagine me ever wanting someone else. You're the piece of me that has been missing. Will you marry me, Jemma?"

"OH MY GOODNESS! OF COURSE I WILL LEO!"

With that, Fitz slipped a ring onto Jemma's finger and kissed her. Grant pulled Skye from the door so they could have their privacy. Skye was smiling ear to ear as they walked away. "Thank you for letting me see. I really appreciate it. I'm so excited for them!"

Grant chuckled, "I'm impressed Fitz finally got the balls to ask her." Skye laughed and playfully smacked him in the chest as he pulled her to him, enveloping her in a tight embrace. He rested his cheek on the top of her head and stood holding her for a few moments and then pulled apart when Jemma and Fitz walked out of the kitchen. Grant and Skye offered their congratulations and then let the couple head upstairs to call their families to let them know about the good news. They both had been keeping their families up to date throughout their time in the states and Fitz had even called Jemma's family to ask for their blessing.

With Jemma and Fitz hidden away for the day to celebrate the engagement, Grant and Skye decided to head to their own hideaway at the back of the mansion. He took her hand and lead her to the game room where they could watch a movie together to wait for all of the excitement to die down. Grant got drinks, Skye piled her arms full of popcorn and candy and they sat down together to watch the movie. Half way through they stopped paying attention to the movie and if they got a little closer together than necessary, and if things escalated, well that was their business and that was why they started spending their time in their private area.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: A FitzSimmons Wedding! :)**

**AN: Alright guys! Gettin close to the end! I hope you guys have enjoyed the ride as much as I have. Time for the Fitzsimmons wedding! This fic is my happy place. So no angst in these last few chapters! Sorry for those of you looking forward to some! Writing is my getaway so I don't know how much angst I'm gonna have in any of my fics. Anyways, onto the story and hopefully some smiles! Thanks for all of the wonderful support! You guys rock!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

Jemma and Skye sat in the garden six months after the engagement. They were discussing the wedding (which was an almost constant topic between the two ever since Leo and Jemma got engaged). Skye had never thought she would be involved in a wedding and Jemma had been dreaming about it since she was a little girl. Skye was hesitant to open up at the beginning, but soon got just as into the planning as Jemma did. She knew Jemma didn't have any family out here and insisted she never go to any appointments alone if Fitz couldn't make it.

"So you and Leo are still going to live here after you're married?"  
"Yes. We've talked about it and this is home to us. We love it here and we like having all of you around all of the time. It definitely would be too quiet if it was just him and me. If we want any privacy, we can just go to our suite. The mansion is big enough here. We could still have our privacy, but would still have our "American Family" close by."

Skye beamed at hearing that. She was relieved to hear that Jemma wouldn't be moving. She didn't know what she would have done. She knew that Grant and Phil and Melinda would never dream of kicking her out of there if Jemma left, but she was all of the family Skye has known and felt weird living anywhere that wasn't near her. Jemma was the first person to make her feel wanted and needed. She was the one person who never sent her back to the orphanage again.

Leo and Jemma had decided that they wanted to fly back to the UK for the wedding since that was where all of their family lived. The wedding was going to be a good size, considering each of them had a large family and they felt guilty leaving anyone out. Skye was going to be Jemma's maid of honor and Grant was going to be Leo's best man. They didn't want to deal with bridesmaids or groomsmen, but Jemma's family was excited for the wedding and insisted on paying for everything. Lots of Skype calls helped with picking out everything and the couple had flown to the UK a few times to pick the venue and the cake and food. The wedding was approaching fast and Jemma was the picture of serenity with the situation. Her calm demeanor had yet to fail her. Even picking her dress in the UK with Skye on Skype for her invaluable opinion didn't cause Jemma to break a sweat.

Skye and Grant often hid away during discussions of the wedding when Fitz was around. They couldn't count how many times they overheard Jemma talking to Fitz about having a monkey as a ring bearer. "No Leo. We cannot have a monkey as a ring bearer for our wedding."

"Why not? Their tiny little hands would be perfect for the rings!"

"Leo! We already agreed that your niece was our ring bearer. Besides, it's less dangerous. There's going to be enough people there. We don't need to add a monkey to the mix. Besides, I think a Doctor Who themed wedding would be amazing."

"As much as I love Doctor Who, I just can't see it being the theme. Maybe we'll have a TARDIS built for a photo booth."

Anyone else in the vicinity would quickly turn around and head in a different direction before they got pulled into the discussion of a monkey ring bearer again. There was just no winning no matter what you said.

Grant paid for Skye and company to fly to the UK for the wedding. It was her first time flying and she was a wreck. She was sitting next to Grant on the plane, constantly tapping her foot while maintaining a death grip on his hand. He tried to assure her that he had flown many times and she would be perfectly fine, but she wasn't hearing any of it. She got herself so worked up that by the time the plane took off she was dead asleep with her head resting on Grant's shoulder and her headphones in so she couldn't hear anything happening outside of her sleep. Grant chuckled to himself and opened his book, prepared for the long flight ahead. By the time she was awake they were up in the air and she quickly realised flying wasn't so bad, especially if your boyfriend was there to make sure you enjoyed yourself.

Grant, Skye, Phil, and Melinda all stayed at a hotel close to where the wedding was going to be. Skye had pulled Jemma, Phil, and Grant aside before they were to fly out and explained to them that she didn't do well in large family groups and would be more comfortable staying at the hotel before the wedding. She didn't want Jemma's family to be offended that she was going to be around for the rehearsal dinner and then the actual wedding. They all insisted that they understood completely and Jemma insisted her family wouldn't be offended in the slightest if she didn't stay with all of them. Grant and Phil made sure Skye was comfortable the entire time they were in town, never pushing any activities or company. She wasn't used to big family groups, being an orphan that was always looked at funny at family functions, and was fine during the ceremony, but had to step outside a few times during the reception. She wasn't used to all the different people talking about things and people that everyone knew about except for her. She was never alone for long outside, Grant and Phil made a point to bring her water and sit with her until she felt better and Melinda had even come out once with a reasurring smile to make sure she was okay.

The wedding was beautiful. They were married in an old church with stained glass windows and old natural wood pews. It was a packed house and Leo almost fainted at the sight of Jemma at the end of the aisle with her father. Grant even nudged Leo and raised an eyebrow when she was walking towards them, clearly realizing how stunning she looked. Leo had done the same to Grant just a few moments before when Skye walked out and he noticed Grant suck in a breathe. "Givin you any ideas there, Grant?" he said with a wink. Grant just gulped and nodded and kept his gaze locked with Skye's, unable to move or argue and not realising what he had even nodded to. The reception was close by in a large hall tastefully decorated with flowers and shades of light blues and greys. Traditional british food was served and nobody was left wanting more. A TARDIS was built, as promised, and used as a photo booth with props for everyone to take photos in. The families mingled together and even Skye had danced with a couple of family members until Grant stole her for the rest of the night, clearly jealous whenever she danced with someone other than Leo, Phil, or Jemma.

By the end of the night, the newlyweds were off to their week long honeymoon and everyone else headed to their hotel rooms for the night. Skye was exhausted as she walked the couple of blocks with her shoes in one hand and Grant's hand in the other. Phil and Melinda had left right after the newlyweds did, but Skye and Grant stayed and mingled for another hour. The air was crisp and comfortable and Grant pulled Skye closer to him in a protective, yet loving hold. They loved the peaceful moments where they could be alone and just enjoy each others' company. When they arrived at the hotel Grant lifted her up bridal style and carried her into the elevator. She threw her head back and laughed as the elevator doors closed, not caring who saw them as Grant bent his head down and kissed her.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Skyeward Forever**

**AN: Yay for more Skyeward fluff! Shout outs to everyone who has commented on my story and those of you who are following me. I'm glad you're liking my fics! So this chapter is like a major cloud of fluff and I'm stoked for it. Only one more chapter to go so that's sad news, but in other news it means you'll get more one shots and stuff! Enjoy guys! Thanks for all of your support lovelies. It really means a ton.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

Grant and Skye had been enjoying themselves while Leo and Jemma were on their honeymoon. They had spent most mornings sleeping in and then playing games together or cuddling up in the library. The days were lazy and warm and the pair had never been so content to do nothing before.

The day before Jemma and Leo were to return to the mansion found Skye waking up alone in bed for the first time. She stretched out and rolled over, smelling Grant's pillow and noticing a rose laying on it. She picked it up and pressed the rose to her nose, taking in the fragrant smell as she smiled and fell back to sleep on Grant's side of the bed.

Grant had woken up early that morning, hoping to get a head start before Skye woke up. He noticed she could sleep in pretty late and instead of lying next to her and reading he carefully got out of bed and got dressed. He had a mission today and failure was not an option. He knocked on the door to Phil's office and slipped inside when he answered.

"Phil. I wanted to talk to you about something extremely important to me."  
"Well this is new. What's on your mind, Grant? Should I be worried?"  
"Definitely not. It's me who should be worried. You hold my happiness in your hands."  
"How the hell could that be possible?"  
"I want to marry Skye, Phil." Phil sat down his coffee and became straight faced, sitting up straighter in his chair. "I can't stand the thought of not being married to her. I know I've never been the type in the past to believe in getting married, but with her it sounds crazy _not _to get married. She makes me happy, Phil. Happier than I have ever been with anyone before. You're the closest thing she's ever had to a dad so I thought I would ask for your permission. It means a lot to me to have your blessing, not just for her, but for me as well. You know I've always seen you as a father figure too."

Phil sat in silence for a moment. Of course he would let Grant hold on to the one piece of happiness he's been able to hold on to. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to toy with the boy for a bit. He couldn't pass up the opportunity. He was only going to have one chance to do this. He stayed silent and got up from his chair and walked out of the room. Grant stood in place shocked to the core. _No way... Is he not going to let me marry her? I don't know what I would do! _He walked out of the room to follow Phil down the hall. He turned around to Grant, "Wait here." and disappeared into Melinda's office. Grant immediately felt his palms get sweaty and he slid down the wall and sat on the floor with his head in his hands. _I'll marry her anyways. There's no way I couldn't._ Phil opened the door back up a minute later and supressed a laugh at Grant's devastated pose on the floor and gestured for Grant to join them in the room.

Melinda was propped up on her desk with a smirk on her face. She held a small box that she carefully handed over to Phil.  
"I know that I've known you longer than I've known Skye, but I swear on everything that if you hurt that girl I will personally make your life miserable. She's had enough heartbreak. And don't think for a second that Melinda wont help me. You promise to spend your life making her feel more important than the sun and more special than the rarest diamond in the world and you have our blessing. This is the engagement ring I gave Mel. We would be honored if you used it; not only because Skye is like a daughter to us, but you are also like a son."

Grant's eyes teared up as he looked down at the small ring box. "Oh thank god. I thought you were going to say no and I was gonna have to look like an ass and marry her anyways." The ring was vintage, obviously in the family for a long time. The center stone was a square sapphire surrounded by small diamonds. Two more diamonds sat on each side of the stone in a white gold band. It was stunning and Grant couldn't believe he was going to be able to propose to Skye with it. He assured Phil (and Melinda) that he would worship Skye and make sure she was always happy before thanking them for the ring and their blessing and running back to Skye, taking the steps two at a time.

He stopped when he reached the bedroom doorway and drank in the vision before him. Skye was lying on his side of the bed with her brown hair sprawled out around her face like a halo on his pillow. She was lying on her side with the rose lying on the pillow pressed up against her nose which was somehow still buried in his pillow and the blankets haphazardly thrown across her body. He wanted to commit this vision to memory, have it burned into his brain. He pulled out his phone and snapped a quick photo with a smirk. That was definitely a vision he wanted to keep for himself.

Slowly, Grant walked towards her and leaned over her. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and pressed a kiss to the side of her forehead, one eyelid, and the corner of her mouth. She sucked in a breath and turned towards him, opening her eyes. She smiled at him and stretched out, her arms above her head before wrapping around his neck. "Mmmm, good morning handsome. What are you doing out of bed? Don't you know you're supposed to stay in bed with me all morning?"  
"I had to take care of something important."  
"More important than waking up with me?"  
"I thought it was at the time."  
Skye noticed his eyes fidgeting while he stood there talking to her. She sat up in the bed and tucked her legs underneath her as she grabbed Grant's face with both of her hands and pulled it towards her for a kiss. "Are you okay? You seem kind of worried about something."  
"I've never been so scared in my life."  
With that she started to worry. "What's wrong Grant? Is it something I can help with?"  
Grant smiled. _Of course she would be concerned about what she could do to help. _"Actually there is something you can do."  
"Anything."  
With that he dropped down on one knee and pulled out the ring box he got from Mel and Phil. "You can marry me."  
"What? I just woke up. I don't think I heard you right."  
"I want you to marry me. You know I'm not good with words, so you can't expect too much in that department, but I did promise Phil and Melinda that I would spend the rest of my life making you feel important and special and showing you how much you mean to me. You are the light to my darkness. I need you like I need the air I breathe. I've never stayed in a house for this long and then I realised I've stayed all this time because of you. It's always you. You're home to me. I fell for you the moment I met you. I continue to fall more and more in love with you every day and I don't ever want to stop. Marry me, Skye. Marry me and make me the happiest man to ever exist."  
"Of course I'll marry you! I couldn't ever be with anyone else!" She jumped into his arms and he slipped the ring onto her finger. Of course it fit her perfectly. He never believed in destiny, but man was Skye making him think twice about it. "Grant, this ring is gorgeous! I couldn't have imagined anything so nice."  
"I got it from Melinda and Phil. I went this morning to ask Phil for his blessing and after he messed with me for a bit, lead me to Melinda's office and gave me this ring. It was his engagement ring to her and looks like its been around for longer than that."  
Skye became teary eyed. They really did see her as family and she was overwhelmed. She was wearing _a family heirloom for goodness sakes! _

Skye pulled him into bed with her to celebrate their engagement. _I'm engaged to the handsome and chiselsed Grant frickin Ward! _A couple of hours later they showed up downstairs to have lunch with Phil and Melinda. They all sat together outside at the table and Grant recalled his story to Skye about what had happened earlier in the morning with Melinda and Phil and endured her laughing at his expense. He didn't care. As long as she was smiling and wearing that beautiful engagement ring on her finger he was happy.

They couldn't wait for Leo and Jemma to return from their honeymoon the next day. Grant knew Skye wanted to share her happiness with Jemma and honestly, he wanted to talk to Fitz. He was like a brother to him and it was weird that he didn't know this had happened. Skye and Grant both were still excited at the thought of surprising them. They both tried to guess who they thought would notice the ring first. (Skye of course thought that Jemma would notice right away "I mean look at this thing Grant! It's huge!" and Grant thought Leo would be oblivious for a bit, but still notice first). After lunch, Skye went with Grant to thank Mel and Phil for the beautiful ring and hugs and tears were shed (everyone would deny the tears if you asked them though). For the first time since she could remember, Skye felt like she was part of a family. A family that chose her and wanted her and made her feel special. She had never been happier and couldn't wait to start this new chapter of her life with Grant and her new family by her side to support her.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: A Skyeward Wedding**

**AN: Last Chapter- and its on the longer side of chapters! I got some of the most amazing reviews from you guys. They made me smile. You guys are awesome! More notes at the end! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly Agents of Shield and the characters are not mine. I tweaked their backgrounds obviously, but essentially they don't belong to me. Skyeward and AOS has just ruined my life and this is my way of coping.**

Skye had never been so nervous in her life, even though she was perfectly sure that Grant was who she wanted to be marrying. She was nervous about the whole wedding part of the day. It was going to be a very small wedding in the garden; neither of them had a large family, but the idea of a wedding was still daunting.

"The garden is the perfect place, Grant! It's where we kissed for the first time and where this whole thing between us really began." Skye had excitedly mentioned. Grant loved the idea, he loved even more that she was the one that had come up with it one night out of the blue during their late night walks.

Grant was relieved that Skye was excited about the wedding planning. When they first got engaged a few months ago she was excited. Once Leo and Jemma returned from their honeymoon she got even more excited to share the news. They walked into the mansion glowing from their vacation and Skye immediately wrapped Jemma in a hug before turning to Fitz and enveloping him in one as well. They all walked into the kitchen to talk about how the honeymoon and married life was going. Skye brought her beer bottle to her lips when Jemma gasped and her eyes grew. She looked at Skye, then at Grant, then back at Skye and squealed.

"Hey Skye where did you get that ring?" -Fitz  
"Oh my gosh are you guys engaged?!" -Jemma  
"It's an engagement ring?!"  
"Of course it's an engagement ring, Fitz! Look at it!"

Grant and Skye started to laugh. Fitz and Jemma had both realised at the same time and started talking over each other and then to each other seemingly forgetting that anyone else was in the room. Phil and Melinda walked in during the exchange and Melinda smirked as she leaned into whisper in Phil's ear. "You owe me ten bucks. I told you they would both notice at the same time. I swear they share a brain."

The conversation then shifted from the FItzSimmons honeymoon to the wedding that was going to be coming soon. Skye started off excited about the conversation topic, but Grant noticed her slowly becoming more and more quiet. Later that night they laid in bed and she opened up to him about her apprehension of the wedding. "It's not the whole getting married to you part I'm scared of; I promise. It's the actual wedding that scares me. Jemma and Leo had such a nice wedding! I can't help but feel like that's not us. I do want a wedding though. I think I just need to ease into it a bit with the planning."

Grant understood her apprehension and told her he would wait as long as she needed him to. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long. After 2 weeks of dancing around it, Jemma finally caught her looking online at bridal dresses. Jemma helped her start to slowly plan the small wedding that would fit her and Grant so well. Skye was impressed with how into the wedding planning Grant got as well. He always gave his opinion when she asked and had even had his own idea or two about the day. He mostly kept Skye in charge of planning everything with Jemma and Melinda. Gramsy had actually come to town periodically to help with planning as well.

Skye had first met Gramsy after the engagement was announced. The older woman had immediately taken a liking to the bubbly and magnetic Skye. Grant had walked into a room many times to find Gramsy and Skye huddled over a coffee table with swatches of colors and bridal magazines. He would lean up against the door frame and watch the two most important women in his life with a smile on his face before Skye would turn around and beam at him and Gramsy would insist he come sit with them and be involved.

"Grant honey, why don't you come over here and help your lovely fiance with some of this."

He'd put his hands up in surrender while ignoring the butterflies at hearing Skye called his fiance and laugh, "Oh no. This day is for you women. I'm content with being in a paper bag as long as Skye is at the other end of the aisle and wearing a ring at the end of the day so everyone knows she's taken. As long as Skye is happy, I'm happy."

Skye just laughed and threw her arms around him, planting a kiss to his cheek while Gramsy would look on with a grin, happy that her grandson finally found someone who made him so happy and brought out the good in him.

The day Skye went to look for a wedding dress was the only day that caused some sort of anxious excitement. It had been 3 months after Jemma and Fitz got married and another 3 months until the wedding was planned for. Skye had woken up and gone to lunch with Jemma, Gramsy, Melinda, and Phil who insisted that the women could not go without him as an escort. The women happily agreed, realizing that he obiviously wanted to see Skye try on dresses and be involved more as a father of the bride.

Three dresses in, Jemma got sick and had to run to the restroom. After running back and forth a few times she finally admitted to the group that she and Leo were expecting a baby. Skye jumped off of the pedestal and pulled Jemma into a hug and all the women congratulated her before a polite cough from the fitting room attendant reminded them all why there were there. Skye blushed and walked back into the dressing room after another quick hug and an, "I'm so happy for you. We are sooo not done talking about this." followed by a wink and a smile. Phil walked over to the cafe next door to get some herbal tea and crackers to settle Jemma's stomach and almost dropped it all when he walked back into the bridal shop and saw Skye up on the pedestal. Jemma was hysterical, obviously being closest to Skye and dealing with her pregnancy hormones, Melinda was misty eyed, Gramsy was grinning ear to ear, and Skye looked over at Phil wide eyed and shy. Skye was stunning in the gown and he was quick to let her know it. She blushed and said "Thank you" and when the attendant put on the veil, she started to cry and Phil lost it; pulling her into him and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"This is it. I think we've found the one." The dress was like it was made for her and they were able to take the sample one right then and there. Skye held it close to her the entire ride home like a precious treasure bestowed upon a child and Phil insisted on carrying the dress to Melinda's office for safe keeping.

"We don't need Grant trying to take a peek and he'll never get past Melinda to see it. That's why I call her the calvary." he said with a wink as Grant walked up and enveloped Skye in a hug from behind her.

They went to find Phil and Melinda shortly after and together asked him if he would walk Skye down the aisle. "You're the closest thing I've ever had to a father and have always made me feel welcomed and loved and I know you also mean a lot to Grant. We would be the happiest couple on the planet if you would walk me down the aisle." Phil beamed as his eyes got misty yet again (_twice in one day! I'm getting soft!)_ and enveloped Skye and Grant in the tightest hug either of them had ever received from him. He pressed a kiss to Skye's forehead with a reply of, "I'd be beyond honored."

The wedding day fast approached and the cermony took place at sunset under the archway that Skye and Grant first kissed under so long ago. Candles hung from branches all over the ceremony area and ribbons adorned the chairs lined up along the walkway. A pregnant Jemma was the maid of honor and Leo was the best man. Melinda and Gramsy sat in chairs along with a couple of nuns that had watched Skye grow up at the orphanage. Grant beamed and said "wow", making everyone laugh, when Skye made her entrance at the end of the walkway with her arm tucked into a beaming Phil's. He stood tall and proud as he walked his surrogate daughter down the aisle. Grant's eyes never left her once the entire walk. Melinda got up when Skye got to the end and her and Phil each pressed a kiss to each cheek before she turned her beaming grin towards a misty eyed Grant and the minister.

The ceremony was short and sweet and their heartfelt vows were said without either one removing their gaze from the other. By the time they walked back down the aisle, everyone was dabbing at tears in their eyes. The party then went into the ballroom that had been decorated for the reception. A large cake baked by Leo himself of course, was the centerpiece of the table along with toasting glasses and gifts. Flowers from the garden and candles were scattered throughout the area and large comfy chairs were brought in for everyone to sit in. The food was delicious, made by Leo's new assistant, everyone danced, and Skye and Grant were inseperable all night. The nuns had left shortly after the cake was cut. A pregnant Jemma was tired after a few more hours and her very attentive husband saw to her getting settled into bed. Gramsy went to her room, but not before a "Welcome to the family" to Skye and a stern gaze to Grant along with "You better treat her the way I taught you how to treat a woman, Mr." Grant, Skye, Phil, and Melinda sat and enjoyed champagne and cake late into the night.

Skye and Grant left the next morning for their two week honeymoon in Tahiti, leaving Phil and Melinda to run the house and Leo to cook whatever weird cravings Jemma would walk in with for the day. Skye was comfortable flying with Grant after the trip to the UK for Jemma and Leo's wedding, and they got to the romantic villa without any problems. They beamed at each other as Grant carried Skye through the door, unable to believe that they had finally gotten to this point in their lives with each other.

"Skye Ward- Yeah, I like the way that sounds" whispered Grant as they stood out on the balcony watching the sun set over the beach.

"My first last name." beamed Skye and she leaned back into his chest.

"Your only last name." answered Grant, as he bent down and engaged her in a searing kiss that would only serve as a reminder of what their lives ahead were going to bring.

**AN: SORRY! I couldn't help putting Tahiti in there! This is the good Tahiti though, I promise! Oh my gosh! It's finished! I'm so sad and so excited at the same time! Thank you so much for all of your support and all of the nice comments said; they really meant a TON. Thanks for sticking in there with me! I hope it was worth it and ended on a good note for you guys! I'm going to try to do a sequel to this, skipping a few months into the future. I'll add a note on this story when I post the sequel so you guys know (if you're interested. no pressure!) If you guys have any prompts you'd like done on the side just message me! I love em! Ya'll are the best and you have no idea how inspired you all have made me. Much Love -Julia **


	19. Sequel Up!

Hey guys! The sequel is up! It's called "A Family and Their Forever" because I'm cheesy like that. Deal with it. I told you guys this was my happy place and I was gonna be corny and cheesy and you were going to get cavities! I hope you guys enjoy!


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